In Sotto Voce
by The Wolfess
Summary: "Sotto voce (adv): under the breath. In an undertone. Also, in a private manner. The speaker gives the impression of uttering involuntarily a truth which may surprise, shock, or offend." Hyrule Warriors AU. Zelimpa. Longshot turned Novella.
1. Chapter 1

*****DISCLAIMER STATEMENT:** The Legend of Zelda and Hyrule Warriors are copyright and trademark of Nintendo and Techmo Koei. The storyline and all original characters are intellectual property of me.**

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**In Sotto Voce**

_By The Wolfess_

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_**Sotto voce (adv):**__ under the breath. In an undertone. Also, in a private manner.  
The speaker gives the impression of uttering involuntarily a truth which may surprise, shock, or offend._

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**Chapter 1**

At the tender age of sixteen, the young heir to the throne of Hyrule, Princess Zelda, had never visited the Knight Academy's training grounds before. She much preferred to spend her time reading books and studying than watching a bunch of sweaty trainees hitting each other with wooden practice swords. There were certainly enough books in the royal library to occupy any one reader for several lifetimes, so the princess never wanted for something new to read. The linage of her Royal House went back to the Sky Era and the age of the First Hero, before Hyrule Kingdom was founded by Queen Zelda Nohansan Harkinian Hyrule the First. It just happened that every Zelda since then had also been a lover of reading. As a result the library was filled, floor to ceiling, with well-preserved books. The oldest volumes dated farther back than that, as they had belonged to the Headmasters of the first Knight Academy, long before the birth of Queen Zelda I.

Unfortunately, her father's new ward did not seem to appreciate the treasure trove of wisdom within the dusty library. The King of Hyrule had agreed to foster the heir to the Zora Kingdom, a young Zoran princess named Rutella, on behalf of King Zora. Behind closed doors, it was rumored that the young princess was far too rebellious and full of passions, and her father was at his wits end trying to calm her down and get her to study. King Zora hoped that the studious, well-mannered Hyrulian princess might have a good influence on his own daughter.

Zelda wasn't sure that it was possible for _anyone_ to calm down the zora princess. She went by the short, jazzy nickname "Ruto" rather than her own full, more elegant and historied name, and she was constantly sneaking around the guards or mooning out the window during their studies with Master Shaddrick, Master Owlan, and Master Horwell. To make matters worse, the fish-girl had a strange and somewhat unhealthy obsession with hylian men, which is what brought them to the training grounds that morning.

"You can't tell me that you've never come out here before," Princess Ruto was saying as she followed Princess Zelda across the battlements. Her clammy blue skin was flushed with excitement and she was getting a little giggly. The Zora princess was wearing a deep blue-violet gown with rosy eye-shaped dots about the size of a hand along the hem. The bodice was a little _low _and the shoulders a little too revealing for the hylian princess's tastes, but it was a lovely gown if you didn't mind the cut.

Zelda shrugged. "Well, I _have_ come this way to attend a few ceremonies. However, other than that, no. I have never really had a desire to," she responded. "I have guards all around me every day, trained soldiers and officers all. I tire of seeing them constantly. Why would I desire to see _more _soldiers, and the less skilled trainees at that?"

Ruto rolled her eyes. "Wow, you're kind of clueless, aren't you? Do they ever let you out of that library?"

Zelda didn't honor that comment with a reply. They had come to the battlement just north of the training grounds. From there, they would have the best view of the yard and the practice square. Ruto would have wanted to get closer, but Zelda didn't think that it was possible without drawing undue attention to their presence. Better that the trainees not be distracted from their work than for the zora princess to get a closer view.

The sounds of trainees talking and wooden swords clacking rose from the training grounds below them. It was a hazy spring morning, and the sunlight filtering through the haze seemed to give the world a glow. At the end of the crenellation the girls had stopped at, a morning dove stood on the farthest merlon just above the embrasure and cooed his sad song into the morning. Zelda turned her head to watch the small gray bird as Ruto leaned through a crenel and began to rant about the boys.

"Oh wow! Do you see that one? He's got nice chestnut hair. And the blue eyes on that one, wow. That guy with the ax has _fine _pecks. Hey, are you even looking? Oh! Who's that in the middle of the circle there? He's fighting against four people and doesn't even seem phased! _Wow!_" Ruto squinted her eyes, raising her hand above them to block the sun. "WOW! Seriously, Zelda would you look at him go? Five, six…he could beat that whole rabble of trainees down there and not break a sweat!"

Zelda looked down at the trainee in question. He was indeed impressive—wielding a wooden sword shaped like a naginata, he seemed to swipe his attackers aside like flies. Zelda squinted, looking a little closer at the soldier in question. "Wait a minute," she said to Ruto. "That trainee is not male at all! She is a woman."

"What?" Ruto glanced at Zelda, and then looked harder at the trainee. Indeed, when the "man" turned around and starting fighting those attacking from behind the princesses could see the rise of breasts beneath her standard-issue trainee uniform. "Oh poo," the zora pouted. "Just when I was starting to get a crush. That dries my fins." She moved on quickly enough, though, focusing on a blond-haired boy doing well in his own way on the other side of the yard.

Zelda, however, stayed where she was. The female trainee had started doing flips and somersaults as she fought. The wooden naginata was like an extension of her arm, and what muscular arms they were. She wore a simple tunic under her standard-issue white trainee tabard, no chainmail, and the short sleeves rode up as she fought, exposing the woman's sculpted biceps. She had white hair tied back in a bun, with four small braids—three woven into the bun, and one beaded and hanging loose on the side of her face. As Zelda watched, the trainee flattened ten foes with a single circular sweep and then used the momentum to dig the tip of the weapon into the ground and vault her body over the heads of those approaching from her right. "Wow…" she whispered under her breath.

"What's that?" Ruto paused in her constant narration long enough to turn to the hylian princess.

Zelda shook her head. "Nothing," she said, quickly looking away from the display.

Ruto looked from Zelda to the female trainee and back. "Uh huh," she said. "Okay, whatever you say."

When Ruto turned back to watching the rest of the trainees, Zelda looked at the woman again. She was just finishing, it appeared, as she had set the butt of her naginata on the ground and was wiping the sweat from her brow with the end of her tabard. Just then, a voice shouted in a commanding tone, and the overseeing office strode over to where the display was taking place. They were too far away for the princesses to hear what he was saying, but his tone sounded positive. The trainee bowed when he was done and went to sit down on the sidelines as the defeated trainees stood up and limped off to the medical building.

Zelda wished that she had gotten them a closer vantage point now. If they were closer, perhaps she could make out what color the woman's eyes were, or what those marks on her face were. As it was, all she could do was squint in the sunlight and try to make out what she could from a distance. As she looked, however, the trainee raised her head and turned her eyes up to where the princesses were watching. Across the yard, their eyes met. Zelda blushed and turned her face away, tilting her head down just enough that her blond hair would shield her face.

"Hey, we need to go," she said, tugging Ruto's arm. "Professor Shaddrick will be waiting. It is time for our Histories."

Ruto sighed, quite overdramatically. "You're killing me, here, Zelly," she said, but when the Hyrulian princess stalked away, going much faster than when she had come, the Zoran princess had no choice but to follow.

The day she first saw the white-haired trainee might have been the first time that Zelda went to the training grounds, but it wasn't the last. She returned the next day with her Sheikah Bodyguard, a now-elderly woman named Kishla. Despite her age, Kishla wore a hard-edged steel breastplate over a short-legged sheikah body suit with hardened leather knee-high boots. It was the same uniform that she had been wearing since before Zelda was born, when she served the previous Queen Zelda. Her face, though wrinkled with age, was hardened by a life of frowning, and her eyes were sharp. Still, despite her strength and extensive skills, her hands and arms had begun to shake of late, and her back gave her a lot of problems in the rigid breastplate. Whispers were going around about how much longer she could fulfill her role as protector of the princess.

The female trainee was practicing again, this time alone off in a corner with a Great Sword made out of real Goron Steel while the others continued practicing with their wooden weapons. "Her name is Impa," Kishla said.

"Huh?" Zelda replied, not looking up from the trainee. The princess was leaning both of her elbows on a merlon and resting her chin in her hands.

The elderly Sheikah just smiled her usual sharp, pierced-lipped smirk. "The trainee you're watching. Her name is Impa."

Zelda perked up and turned surprised eyes on her bodyguard. "You know her?" She prompted, her heart jumping in her chest. She hadn't expected anyone to know who the trainee was because most of them were just peasants or younger children of lesser noblemen who wanted something more out of life. The princess had been dying to know who she was, but was too afraid to ask for fear of being too obvious in her attentions.

Zelda feared that she was already too obvious to those who knew her. She had been distracted during her lessons with Master Shaddrick all afternoon the previous day. It had gotten to the point where he asked her if she needed a break. When Master Owlan asked her if she was feeling ill later in the day, Ruto had grinned at her in a knowing way. The princess just couldn't get the trainee off of her mind, and every spare moment her mind got she felt it drifting away to dwell on the trainee's arms or the way she had leapt in the air while wielding that large weapon as if were a toy.

Kishla chuckled a little. "I should know her, she's the daughter of our tribal leader."

"So she's a Sheikah…" Zelda murmured.

Kishla nodded. "And a very talented young Sheikah at that. As you have noticed, I can see. Captain Raltz gave her permission yesterday to train with real weapons, but only by herself. None of the other trainees, or most of our knights for that matter, can stand against her."

"Wow," Zelda murmured, turning her eyes back to watch the Sheikah practice. "She's really strong."

Kishla nodded. "And fast, and agile, and has a good grasp of water and fire battle magic."

Zelda raised her eyebrows. "Really? How old is she?"

"Twenty and one, your Highness," Kishla responded. "A prodigy, even among our people."

Zelda became quiet, thinking on this new information. For her to be so skilled at such a young age, the Goddesses must have some great purpose for this young Sheikah warrior. Zelda found herself wondering how, if at all, she would play into this Sheikah's destiny.

They stayed for a while longer, but when Impa started to put her Great Sword back in its giant sheath, Zelda quickly left with her bodyguard. The princess felt shy about Impa knowing of her interest. She, herself, wasn't sure why she was so interested. All she knew was that she felt drawn to the Sheikah woman as she had never been drawn to anyone before. Of course, the young princess knew exactly what to do whenever she felt particularly interested in someone: keep it a secret.

As long as no one knew that she was interested in the Sheikah trainee, then neither of them had to be bugged with gossipers or moochers. People often tried to get into the princess's inner circle through her friends, or to get gossip about her personal life _from _her friends. The publicity was bad on both sides. Terrible rumors often started about both the princess _and _whoever the friend was. Zelda had lost friends in the past who didn't want the kind of limelight brought on by such fame. It had happened often enough that the princess didn't have many friends and was wary about showing overdue interest in anyone. She spent much of her time alone or with Kishla. At least, that was until Ruto arrived.

Zelda didn't go to the training grounds the next day or the day after that. She threw herself into her studies and tried to find amusement for Princess Ruto that didn't involve going to the training grounds. By the third day of not seeing the Sheikah woman, Zelda was _almost _starting to feel like herself again. She was in the library reading when Ruto decided she had had enough of the castle and wanted to see the trainees again, whether Zelda was coming or not.

"Come on, Zelda! You need to get out of this musty library!" the zora girl had said.

Zelda flipped a page in her book, pretending to be absorbed in the story. "Not now, this is just getting good," she responded.

Ruto let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine, I'm going without you."

She pranced off, and Zelda set the book down. She wasn't really into it at all. The truth was, she hadn't been able to read much at all that day, despite her best efforts. Every time she tried to focus on the story, her mind would wander to the white-haired woman in the training yard. As if the past two days hadn't been excruciating enough, last night she had _dreamed _about the woman. They had just been talking in a little garden, nothing more than that. Then Impa reached out and touched her hand, and Zelda woke up.

On the fourth day, Zelda couldn't take it anymore. Ruto was developing a crush on the blond-haired recruit and asked Zelda, once again, if she wanted to come with her to the yard. This time, to the zora princess's surprise, Zelda agreed. Once again, she quietly watched Impa train, and when the Sheikah was done Zelda left. They repeated this routine the next day, and the next, and the one after that. Every morning, Ruto and Zelda went from the breakfast table to the training yards. Zelda would stand in the shadow of the turret, praying that no one saw her there. Ruto would openly swoon over the trainees, though she refrained from drawing overdue attention to herself at Zelda's earnest behest. Then, when Impa was done training, Zelda would leave through the nearest turret door to prevent detection. Sometimes Ruto left with her, sometimes she didn't. Then they would have their studies, dinner with the King, and a little free time before bed. It soon became their daily routine.

After a couple weeks of this, the blond-haired recruit that Ruto favored was allowed to use real steel as well—a modest sword and shield—and he and Impa would practice against one another. On the battlements, Zelda and Ruto quietly cheered their respective champions. Impa won more often than not, such was her tremendous power and skill, but the blond-haired recruit was never phased. He always got back up, ready to go again. There was incredible courage in his attitude.

The princesses were having a quiet dinner with the King one wet spring day when fate threw a deku stick in Zelda's careful routine. "Zelda, Ruto, I have bad news," said the King, setting down his spoon and pushing away his empty bowl of Pumm's Pumpkin Soup. He was a large man with a thick brown beard and bright blue eyes. Dressed in a heavy red robe with white trim and a golden crown on his head, he was fierce to look at, and his subjects fondly called him the King of Red Lions. For all that he appeared imposing to those who didn't know him, however, or to those upon whom his wrath was turned, to his daughter he was always her big teddy bear of a father. Still, lately be had been a little more distant and gruff than usual. Kishla assured her that there were grave matters of state weighing on his mind and cautioned the young princess not to trouble him too much until the matter was settled.

Zelda set her spoon down and folded her hands in her lap. "Yes, father?" she asked, keeping her face carefully blank. There had been a troubled atmosphere about the entire castle of late, and the Advisors and Councilmen—which included Kishla—had been locked up in long meetings and war councils. Still, although the military was running extra drills and every scouting unit and solider who could be reallocated to scouting for a while was out who knows where looking for who knew what, most of the military was just staying on guard. No information had been released outside the meetings, not even to her. The servants whispered that there were signs of the approach of the next Divine Cycle. All eyes were turned toward Hyrule Castle—and Zelda's were turned to her father, awaiting the moment he would finally choose to tell her what was going on.

"I hate to tell you during supper, Zelda, but Kishla came to me today," said King Daphnes. "She has been diagnosed with a disease of the bones called arthritis. It causes the joins to stiffen and be very painful. She feels that she can no longer adequately perform her duties and has requested retirement."

Zelda sighed and frowned. That was not what she had hoped to hear. Not that this was _good_ news, but she would obviously have to keep waiting to find out what was going on behind the closed door of Hyrule Castle. "I know what arthritis is, father. I keep up on recent medical discoveries."

"Yes, well. Even so, the situation stands. I am going to allow her retirement. She has served us for many years, serving your mother before you, and she deserves whatever comforts we can provide her."

Zelda nodded. "I agree," she said, her voice growing quiet. "Although I will miss her. She has been as a mother to me."

King Daphnes nodded. The servants were bringing out a dessert course for them to finish their dinner off with. "I understand, honey," he said. "And we are not going to rush the selection. This person will be with you day and night, so it behooves us if you get along."

"I know someone!" Ruto piped up. Something in the way that she smiled made Zelda's gut churn. _No no no,_ she thought. _Don't say anything about Impa! Don't say anything about Impa!_ She gave Ruto a scathing look, and the zora girl hesitated for a moment.

"Yes?" King Daphnes prompted when Ruto paused. "Who do you think will be suitable for the position? A Zoran guard from your own kingdom perhaps?"

Princess Ruto shot Zelda a malicious smile over her shoulder. Zelda could have died right there. "Not a Zora, your Grace," she said to the King. "A trainee who shows particular skill. Your daughter has taken an interest in her, although they have not yet spoken."

King Daphnes nodded thoughtfully, stroking his long white beard. "Yes, yes, now what was her name? Impa. I know of this trainee. My generals and captains speak highly of her skills, and Kishla mentioned her as a potential replacement just today, as a matter of fact. This is a good idea, Rutella, an excellent prospect. The Sheikah do have a long history as servants to the royal family, did you know that? And yet they have _not_ _spoken_, you say? Then how can we know they are compatible?" He slammed his large hands on the table and smiled, picking up his fork to delve into the custard they had just brought out. "Well then, it's settled."

Zelda had the grace to suppress her anger and her humiliation. She kept her features very straight as she responded. "What is settled, father?" she asked, her tone as even as possible.

"Why, you will meet this young soldier of course," said the King. "Spend time with her. Get to know her. She is set to be promoted to base-level infantry next week, a full three years before the rest of her class. I do not see why this exceptional young Sheikah could not be in your service, especially if you have an interest in her. You so rarely have an interest in anyone, my sweet."

"I—" despite herself, Zelda's voice cracked. She took a drink of water to clear her throat before she tried again. "I am grateful, father, but certainly someone of a higher rank should guard me?"

"Nonsense," Ruto said, as the King's mouth was full of a bite of custard at the moment. "If she's able, then why does rank matter?"

King Daphnes swallowed. "It matters, young Rutella, but that is a lesson better heard from Master Horwell than from me. Zelda, if she pleases you then she may continue her training while in your service. From what I have heard of her, she will move up in the ranks faster than you think."

Zelda could think of no other protests. She had lost her appetite, so she sat in silence while Ruto and her father finished eating. When they were done and the king had excused them, Zelda and Ruto walked out of the dining hall together. Zelda waited until the large oaken doors were shut and they had turned a couple hallways before she rounded on the Zora princess.

"How dare you?!" she said, struggling not to raise her voice. "If I had wanted Impa I would have said so myself!" She had backed Ruto against the wall and was jabbing her pointer finger at her as she spoke.

Ruto crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes. "No, you wouldn't have. I know you well enough to know that. You would have picked someone _dull_ and _capable_, and I would have been stuck with them. At least she's interesting. And you do like her, I think."

"She interests me, it's different," Zelda murmured, backing down from her anger for just a moment. Then she let the edge back into her voice. "But you_ knew_ I did not want anyone to know of this, Ruto. _You knew!_"

"Whatever," said the Zora Princess. "I don't know why you're being so weird about her anyway. If she were a man, like that blond trainee for example, I'd understand why you're overreacting. A cute boy can do that. But Impa is a woman, and _you_ are a hylian, not a Zora."

Zelda cast her eyes downward. "You do not understand," she said, but all the fury had gone out of her. She really didn't understand herself, but she also wasn't examining it today. She sighed. "What is done is done," she said, then turned and walked away. She left the zora princess alone and went off to the library. Between Ruto's betrayal and her father's continued silence on matters he used to discuss with her freely, Zelda felt like could use some alone time with her best friends. At least the characters in books didn't keep secrets from you or betray your trust when you gave it to them. **0000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

**Author's Notes for my Doppelganger Trilogy readers:** I KNOW it's not the next chapter of Stasis, and I KNOW you're probably mad about that. But I promise that Stasis will be much better when I have this story out of my head. I'm still doing Nanowrimo with Stasis, so it'll get at least 50,000 words down by December 1st. Happy? So, I hope that you all enjoy this little sidequest for the time being. :)

**Author's Note for everyone else: **Hello, and welcome to the obsession overtaking all of my free time and my entire writing life. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and will enjoy chapters to come. It's mostly written, as a matter of fact, so there shouldn't be too long of waits between chapters. Zelimpa, if you can't already tell, with no zelink bashing because I still love that pairing too…just not in this game…and length-wise, plan on this being a Novella length.

****Please read and review! And if you enjoy my writing, please check out my major work, the Doppelganger Trilogy. You can find books 1 and 2 completed on my profile.****


	2. Chapter 2

*****ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY****

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**In Sotto Voce**

_By The Wolfess_

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**Chapter 2**

The next day, King Daphnes and his advisors were shut up in meetings again. Kishla stayed for the first few hours of deliberations, but soon left to return to the Sheikah City in order to discuss the changes in her role at the castle and their forecasted plan for Zelda's protection during the interview period. No matter what their plan ended up being, for a few days, at least, Princess Zelda would be mostly unguarded. Even though the doors to the Great Hall remained shut, the king wasted no time finding Kishla's replacement. He set his event planners to work figuring out when, where, and how the princess and the Sheikah trainee would meet.

They decided that Impa and the princess would meet over lunch, and so an invitation was extended. After all, they figured, what was a better way for two women to get to know each other than over a light luncheon with tea? They completely overlooked the fact that Impa was a warrior, not a 'Lady' in the proper sense of the word, so a quaint luncheon might be a little awkward for her. They also overlooked the fact that no matter how Zelda and Impa would meet, the princess was convinced that there were much more important things going on in Hyrule Castle than her own petty affairs. Still, if her father wanted to keep up this ruse of normality in the country that they were _both_ supposed to be protecting, then she would play along. Delaying meeting the trainee wouldn't make her father any likelier to cancel it all together anyway.

When the day of the luncheon came, Ruto helped Zelda choose what to wear. They went through at least half of Zelda's quite large royal wardrobe before they found something that would work. Zelda chose a modest violet dress with a light pull over to cover her shoulders. It was patterned with little flowers done in an elegant fashion with a darker plum thread. The color brought out her fair skin and dark-colored blue eyes, while the cut flattered her figure while still appearing modest enough for a princess.

"You're as nervous as a girl before her first date," Ruto said as they went through jewelry. Zelda decided to go light on jewelry for this outfit, hoping for a few pieces that would set off the dress and bring out the gold in her hair. "Like I said, you're being weird about this. If I didn't know hylians better, I'd say…well, never mind what I'd say."

"I know I am," Zelda said. Ruto was doing the clasp on the latest necklace option. "I do not know _why,_ Ruto, only that I feel so nervous that I fear I might faint. I want to make a good impression."

Ruto stepped back to look at the hylian princess. "That's the one, Zelly, I just know it." Zelda didn't like that nickname, but Ruto didn't care so Zelda just ignored it now. "And you_ will_ make a good impression. Wearing this, if she were a man you'd knock her dead. Classy and sassy all at once."

Zelda sighed. "Thank you, Ruto. And I agree on the necklace," she glanced up at the wooden Terminian clock on the wall. "Well, looks like it should be about time." She swallowed and walked to the door. Ruto followed her out, planning to spend some extra time at the training grounds while Zelda was off at lunch. Before they parted, Zelda stopped. "Wish me luck," she said to the zora princess.

Ruto waved. "Yeah, luck, now go! You'll be late."

The location of their lunch was not far. The planners had chosen the east-facing solar, close to Zelda's bedroom, knowing the princess would likely be running late. She was a little more introverted than past Zeldas usually were and she always thought too long about what to wear to social events. They also chose this room because it would have good lighting at the lunch hour and it was smaller and cozier for intimate chats. It had been informally known as the Queen's Solar for centuries.

Zelda stopped just outside the door. "Good afternoon," she whispered under her breath. "Hello, how do you do? Greetings, merry day is it not? Hi, how are ya? Cheers?" She sighed and shook her head. None of it sounded right. Steeling herself, she put a hand on the handle and took a deep breath. She composed her features, checked her clothing and jewelry once more, and then pulled the door open.

Impa was standing at the window with her hands clasped behind her back. She didn't have her Great Sword with her, but she appeared to be dressed in a style of Sheikah every day wear that also doubled as a battle uniform. It was a turquoise outfit with yellow arrows on the thighs that pointed upward. The top of the outfit had a strap that went over one shoulder while the rest of the fabric just wrapped around and tucked into the ornate armor belt that covered her midsection. There were golden rings secured by red-orange fabric tied to the belt from which a few large red-orange feathers hung. She wore plates of armor on her shins and arms as well, of a similar style to her belt, which covered her arms from shoulder to hand, and her legs from knee to ankle. Under the armor, she wore bracers and fingerless gloves. Around her neck, a black cowl was wrapped comfortably and tied with yellow and red beads.

At the sound of the door, the Sheikah trainee turned around. Zelda's breath caught in her throat. The front of the outfit left Impa's shoulders and chest mostly bare. The turquoise material covered one breast, but only a small piece of armor decorated with the Sheikah Eye and some bandages wrapped tight about her chest covered the other one. Her skin under the armor was smooth and tanned, her stance somehow powerful and casual at once.

The Hyrulian princess found that she could not speak at all. She stood there in the doorway like an idiot and stared. Impa seemed to take this as a social cue. She crossed the space between them, her intense red eyes cast downward, and went down on one knee before Zelda. She placed her left fist over her heart in a soldier's salute, and held the other hand out to the princess, palm up.

"Your Highness, I am truly honored to be in your presence," she said. Zelda snapped out of it and placed her bare hand in the Sheikah's. The skin of their fingers touched. Zelda suppressed the urge to shiver as a jolt of something queerly like lightning sprang through her fingertips where they had made contact.

"Thank you," Zelda finally managed to say. "Please, rise. Such formalities are not necessary."

Impa took her hand out of Zelda's and stood. The princess wished that she had waited just a moment longer to let the trainee remove her hand. That was until their eyes met, and the hylian princess got the chance to see bright red of Impa's eyes directly. They were so much livelier than the color of Kishla's old eyes, and there was an intensity in her gaze as she looked at the princess's face that made Zelda feel light headed.

"Hello," Zelda croaked in a meek tone as she clasped her hands together in front of her.

Impa smiled, half in amusement. "Hello, Princess Zelda," she said. They were still standing in the entryway, their bodies standing a little closer together than was customary.

Zelda smiled back, before she remembered her manners and realized how close they were. "Forgive me," she said, stepping back and suppressing the urge to blush. "I seem to have forgotten all my manners. Would you like to sit? The servants will be bringing lunch soon." She motioned to the small table set for two near the window.

Impa did a half bow. "I would love to," she said. They crossed over to the table, and Impa held out the chair for Zelda before sitting in her own chair. The servants brought out the first course, a light salad and some tea. Once they had poured the tea, the servants left, and the two girls were alone again.

They ate their salads in silence. Zelda's heart was fluttering in her chest and she couldn't think of a single word to say. Impa ate with one hand in her lap, her intense eyes never leaving the princess's face. Finally, Zelda set her salad fork down. She licked her lips and laced her fingers together in her lap. "I suppose you have heard why you have been summoned today?" she asked.

Impa set her fork down as well. "Actually, I was not told much your Highness. They mentioned that Elder Kishla is retiring from your service, and the King wanted you and I to meet to discuss it. That was all, I believe."

"Please, call me Zelda," the princess said. She was happy that they had not told Impa about Zelda's undue interest in her of the past few weeks.

"Zelda, then," Impa said, seeming to linger over the syllables of the princess's name.

Zelda did blush this time, but only a little. She picked her salad fork back up and busied herself with eating a few more bites. When she was done, she looked back up to Impa's face. The sheikah was looking down as she ate the rest of her salad. Zelda took the opportunity to examine her features. She had a red tattoo around her left eye. The edge of the eye was traced in red, with a single line extending out the side in a little curl. Above her eyebrow was a smaller red outline of a triangle, and below the eye was a larger, solid red triangle that seemed to extend down almost to the corner of her mouth with two tiny solid triangles on either side. The right eye seemed to have some red around it as well, but it wasn't as pronounced as the left side.

"Kishla told me that your name is Impa. Is that correct?" Zelda said, as a way of starting the conversation.

"Yes, that is indeed my name," Impa answered.

Zelda tapped her fingertips together under the table. "It is quite a historied name," she said, her voice sounding a little nervous. "There are many legendary Sheikah women who have borne that name."

Impa nodded. "Yes, that is true. They are my ancestors, and I enjoy reading about them."

"You like reading?" Zelda asked, tilting her head to the side a little. "It is rare that I meet a warrior who enjoys books."

Impa inclined her head. "I do read when I can. I suppose that makes me not your typical warrior, then?"

Zelda smiled, her shoulders starting to relax a little. "I will have to discuss books with you sometime," she said. "For today, however, I would very much like to know more about you, Impa. I have…seen you practice in the yard. You are very skilled."

Just then, the servants brought the main course out. It was a pasta salad with chunks of cheese, ham, and celery mixed in with pasta, tuna, and a light sauce. Zelda took the excuse to do something with her hands and ate while Impa talked.

"There is not much to tell, I'm afraid," the Sheikah began. "I grew up in the Sheikah village of Kakariko. I began to study weapons and exhibit magical abilities at the age of eight. By seventeen, I had surpassed all of our instructors in the magical battle arts and was sent to Hyrule to study under a sage named Rauru. I lived and studied with him until the about a year ago, when I enlisted in the Hyrulian Army."

"Why the army?" Zelda asked. "Someone with your skill would surely go elsewhere to perform great deeds for the world."

It was Impa's turn to blush a little. "I am honored by your praise, your Highness. I mean, Zelda."

Zelda smiled. Perhaps, she realized, Impa was just as nervous as she was. "I merely speak truth. I have never seen a warrior with such power and grace before."

Impa didn't seem to have a reply. They ate the rest of their lunch while exchanging some light chatter about the weather and recent events around the castle. Eventually the servants took their plates away and left the girls alone with a teapot and couple teacups. There would be no more interruptions. If Zelda was ever going to tell Impa the true reason for their lunch, the time was now.

"I must confess, Impa," the princess began. "My father has a specific reason for wanting us to share lunch today, and it was not to talk about the weather." They both laughed a little, and then Zelda continued. "Kishla is retiring, as you know. We need to find a replacement to be my bodyguard. Traditionally, the position has always been held by a Sheikah, and your name was brought up as a potential candidate. It was not at all because of your race, however, I assure you. My father's military leaders have spoken highly of your skills to him, and Kishla personally recommended you."

This was where the telling got difficult, and Zelda's stomach churned with nerves. What if she said no? What if they weren't compatible? Ignoring the sick feeling that was coming upon her, Zelda continued. "Now, this position is very unique. My bodyguard is with me day and night. Kishla has not been around as much because of her illness of late and duties as an advisor to the Crown, but traditionally every waking hour, seen or unseen, my bodyguard is at my side. We eat together. We sleep in the same or adjoining rooms, depending on the bodyguard's gender. You would attend my classes with me, social functions, read with me in the library, and in the unlikely event of a battle we would be side by side, as if conjoined at the hip. As you would expect, because of the nature of this position it is important to my father that the person chosen be someone that I get along with. He would like us to spend time together and get to know one another in order to see if we are compatible."

Impa's eyebrows had raised as Zelda spoke. Now that she was done, the Sheikah opened her mouth to speak, and then closed it again when nothing came out. "My Lady," she finally said, her voice strangely strained. "I don't know what to say."

Zelda cast her eyes down at the lacey tablecloth. Under the table, she clutched the fabric of her dress in both hands. "It is too much to ask," she said, her voice soft as she fought the sorrow trying to enter her tone. "I understand. I shall inform my father that you do not desire the position." The princess stood to leave, hoping to exit gracefully before any tears might betray her.

Before she took two steps away from the table, however, a hand found her own. Zelda turned to see Impa half-standing up from her chair, her hand extended to hold Zelda's. Her grip was firm but gentle, and her expression was somehow tender. "I'm afraid that I have not communicated my meaning," she said, her voice quiet as she stood the rest of the way up from her chair. She looked the princess directly in the eyes. "I am…" she paused, searching for the right words, "overjoyed by the offer. Honored. Amazed. Humbled." She looked down at their joined hands, but did not let go. "I'm just a trainee. I never expected a privilege such as this. I would be most grateful…and pleased…to spend time with you."

A smile crept onto Zelda's face. "You…you would?" she asked, knowing it sounded dumb. But needed to hear her say 'yes' one more time.

Impa nodded. The pad of her thumb brushed over Zelda's knuckles once, and then she dropped the princess's hand. "Yes, Zelda. I would be delighted to get to know you."

The princess's smile turned into a grin. She held the hand that Impa had touched up to her chest for a moment, and then let it fall to her side. "Thank you," she said. Impa just nodded in reply. Zelda glanced from the Sheikah's face to the window and then back. "It's a beautiful day outside. Would you like to take a walk with me?"

"I would like to go anywhere you desire," Impa replied, which made Zelda blush again. The Sheikah smiled, as if she was enjoying making the princess blush. They left the solar and started walking down the drafty castle hallway. Zelda wasn't really paying attention to where they went, and Impa seemed content to follow where the princess led. They kept a quiet company at first. Zelda debated what to say to this warrior woman, and Impa waited on the princess's convenience like the good soldier she was training to be. As they came toward the study hall, Zelda finally spoke up.

"This is where I spend most of my days," she said. They stopped by the door and peeked in. Seeing no one using the space, the princess led them inside. There were two wooden desks with plush chairs sitting in the middle of the room facing opposite a large, cherry-wood desk. The room had large, clear windows to let in fresh light, and the walls were lined with textbooks and maps and paintings and a chalkboard—anything that the professors might need to educate their royal pupils.

Impa was examining the desks. The one on the right, farthest from the door, had random papers and pencils scattered all over it and a few letters and shapes drawn or carved into the desktop. On the other hand the one on the left, closest to the door, was tidy and clean. "I think that I can guess which desk belongs to you," Impa said, chuckling a little.

"Oh?" Zelda looked at the desks as if noticing them for the first time. Soon, she chuckled as well. "I guess mine is kept much nicer than Ruto's. She so hates being here."

Impa tilted her head a little. "And you, Zelda? Do you hate being here too?"

Zelda shook her head, long blond hair swaying with the movement of her head. "Oh, no. I quite love to study. The more you know about the world, the better prepared you are for whatever may come. You predict the future by looking at the past. And, well, it's all so interesting anyway." Zelda led them back out of the study hall and kept walking.

"What's your favorite subject?" Impa asked, hoping to keep the conversation going.

Zelda grinned. "History of course! As a ruler, I feel as if history is the most useful subject of all. Sometimes it feels like hearing the stories of the Zeldas who have come before me is like hearing my own stories told to me in someone else's voice. It is a strange feeling."

Impa nodded. "I enjoy history as well. The sheikah tell their own histories of Hyrule, quite separate from the tales that you are privy to."

Zelda was walking them toward the door to the garden. It would be nice to take a walk out in the warm, sunny air. "Different? How so?" she asked, intrigued.

Impa shrugged. "Well, the Sheikah Tribe prides itself on being keepers of truth. Members of our tribe spend their whole lives researching the exact facts of events, both big and small, and then record them as factually as possible. These volumes are then copied over and over again as they start to wear, so that future generations can know the exact facts of events that took place hundreds of years ago."

Zelda's eyes seemed to light up. "I would very much like to read these tomes," she said, clasping her hands in front of her. "They must be very interesting."

Impa smiled. "You will," she said," but I must warn you, they are very dry. Even though the legends passed down within our own tribe may have stylistic flair sometimes, the Sheikah Historical Archive is as factual and dry as a grocery list. There are a couple who tried to spice the language up a little to make the reading more bearable, Mudora being a favorite writer of mine for example, but most of them didn't want to 'taint' or 'slant' the facts by adding style."

"I think that that you will find me to be not an easily-bored reader," Zelda said. They had come outside and the sun was shining. Happy to feel its light and happy to have company, she closed her eyes and tilted her face up toward the sun. "I think that the spring sun is the warmest of all," she whispered, "for it gives its light and warmth even as the earth is still cold and resistant. It is the most selfless of all the suns."

Their conversation kept going from there. It was as if once they had started, there was no way to stop them, and no topic was off-limits. They talked about themselves and about their interests, great and small. They talked about books and weapons and history. They even briefly talked about the hushed meetings that the King was keeping quiet and the rumors circulating about them. Zelda soon realized that not only was Impa strong and kind and beautiful, she was also smart. The princess had never met anyone quite as _interesting _as Impa, nor anyone who made her feel quite so _interested_.

By the time that dusk began to fall, they were out on the battlements of the Castle wandering at a leisurely pace. The sun began to set, and it painted the sky red, orange, and pink behind them. Zelda looked at it and said "Oh!"

Impa stopped. "Is everything okay?" she said, her voice suddenly serious.

Zelda nodded her head and smiled. "I am fine," she said. "I just realized that I missed supper with my father as we have been walking. Ruto will be furious with me."

Impa smiled. "She sounds like a unique person," she remarked.

"Yes, very," Zelda said. "You can meet her tomorrow, if you would like. We can pick you up at the trainee's barracks tomorrow morning."

Impa bowed a little. "That would be wonderful, your Highness," she said. "However, the barracks are not a place for two Ladies such as yourselves. I can meet you in the hall just outside where you breakfast with your father, if it pleases you."

"It does please me," Zelda answered. She fell quiet for a moment, looking up at Impa's face with a small smile on her lips. The sunset was behind Impa, and the colors set off the red in her eyes and reflected off of her silver-white hair. "You must be hungry," the princess finally said. "I should let you go eat and rest."

Impa nodded. "Perhaps that would be wise," she agreed.

"I suppose this is goodnight, then." Zelda held out her hand. Impa bent over it in a Lord's bow, took Zelda's hand in her own, and brushed her lips over the princess's skin in a chaste and proper kiss. Lords and knights had done the same thing countless times over the princess's lifetime, it should have been nothing new to her, but Zelda's heart jumped a little all the same.

"Goodnight Zelda," Impa said. "I will see you in the morning, then."

Zelda nodded. She began to take her leave, but turned back to the departing sheikah at the last minute. "Impa?" she said.

"Yes, my Lady?" the trainee asked, turning to look back at the princess.

"I very much enjoyed your company today," Zelda said. "Thank you for spending time with me."

Impa did another half-bow. "The pleasure was all mine, princess."

~! #$%^&amp;*()

When Impa returned to the barracks that night, she went right to bed. She wanted to be fresh and ready for the princess the next morning, and she would need to get her training done very early if she was to spend the whole day with Zelda. The sheikah still wanted to aspire to a higher office, even if she did end up in Zelda's personal service. Truth be told, as flattered as she was by the offer, she also didn't feel worthy of it. The princess deserved some captain or lieutenant by her side, someone who was more experienced and decorated than herself. She deserved the best that the army had to offer, and Impa wasn't sure that she was it.

Still, as she lay on her bed in the dark, alone with her thoughts, the sheikah felt glad that the princess had chosen her. She was sure that it was the princess, not just the King, who had made the choice. After all, Zelda had been coming to watch Impa train for the past month. She thought she was being sneaky, but Impa was a sheikah and she knew the whole time. Day after day she felt the princess's eyes upon her, watching from the shadows, and something within Impa felt like she needed to fight harder, move faster, be stronger. It was as if she wanted to become a warrior with the strength to be worthy of such a beautiful woman's interest, able to protect her from the evil that was in the world.

Suddenly, there was a knock in Impa's door. As the only female trainee in the barracks this year, Impa had the space to herself. She sat up and called for the person to come in. The door opened a crack, and the blond head of her young training partner popped in.

"Am I intruding?" he asked, flashing a smile.

Impa shook her head. "No, Link, you're never intruding. I couldn't sleep anyway."

Link came in and closed the door behind him. They both wore simple trainee tunics to bed, like everyone else did. The young orphan boy was the only person strong enough or skilled enough to spar with Impa, and they had become fast friends shortly after he joined the army. Impa appreciated the boy's honesty and kindness, and he appreciated her acceptance and expertise. He was only seventeen and hadn't had any formal training, but he was enthusiastic and had natural talent. So far they were advancing at about the same rate through the training program.

Link sat on the unoccupied bed across from Impa's. "So, how did it go? Your day with the princess. Is she as beautiful up close as she looks from a distance?"

Impa smiled. "More so," she said. She looked past Link, staring at the wall as if Zelda's face was right there in front of her. "She's as radiant as the stars," she murmured, her tone soft. "And she's kind, and smart, and sensitive. She was a little shy at first, but once she grew comfortable we talked all day. Really, Link, she's unbelievable."

"Did she say why she's been watching you?" he asked. Link was the only other person who had noticed that Zelda visited the training grounds every day, and Impa had sworn him to secrecy. If the princess wished to remain anonymous about her visits, no one would find out from either of them.

Impa shook her head. "She didn't mention it. I'm not going to press her if she doesn't desire to speak of it."

"I don't know why it would be an issue," he said, shrugging. "Ruto watches me every day, and sometimes the King comes to watch us train. They're scouting for talent. What does she think she's hiding?"

Impa shook her head. "I don't know. But I do know why she summoned me."

Link leaned forward. "And?" he prompted.

Impa let herself grin. "Her bodyguard, Elder Kishla, is retiring. The King wants me to take her place, but only if Zelda and I get along. So we're to spend time together, get to know each other."

Link's jaw dropped. "Are you kidding me?" he said. He stood up and held his hands out in front of him. "Are you KIDDING me right now?! Seriously, Impa, that's awesome!"

Impa stood and put a finger to her lips. "Shhhh," she said. "You'll wake the barracks! I don't think she wants people to know right now."

Link sat back down, but he didn't stop smiling. "Fine, but I still say way to go. You're not even out of training yet, and they're giving you the most honored position in the army. That's a lifetime appointment. Hey, are you sure that's the direction you wanted to go in? It would stop your aspirations of becoming a General one day, or your ability to leave the army to do other things."

Impa sat down as well. She leaned back against the headboard, folding her hands behind her head. "You know, before I met her I would have said no. Trailing a princess isn't what I pictured myself doing with my life, you know?" Link nodded, and Impa continued. "But once I met her…I don't know…it's like there's a magnet in us that is pulling us together. Like I don't have a choice, and suddenly I'm not sure I want one. The Sheikah Elders would say that the Goddesses' plans are coming to fruition. Or something like that at least, about it being the call of destiny. I'm not sure what I think about that."

Link didn't seem to know what to say. After sitting quietly for a little he said, "That's pretty heavy. So, when are you going to see her next?"

"I'm meeting her tomorrow morning," Impa answered. "I will meet her after breakfast and we are to spend the whole day together."

Link yawned and stood up. "That's awesome. Well, you'll have to tell me how it goes," he said as she stretched. "I'd better get to bed. I just wanted to see how it went."

"Yeah, we both should," Impa agreed. "Big day tomorrow. Hey, thank you for stopping by."

Link smiled. "Of course. Congratulations again! "

Impa stood and held out her hand to him. Link shook it, and then he left. The sheikah laid back down on her bed and stared into the darkness of the barracks. If she got this position, her whole life would change. Zelda would _be _her life. A part of her felt slightly scared by that prospect, but then there was this other part of her. The other part whispered that this was what she was meant to do. That, somehow, Zelda was a part of her destiny. It was wonderful and terrifying at the same time.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

**Author's Notes:** Thank you so much everyone for the positive reception of the first chapter! I'm amazed by the number of people who aren't really into this pairing but are reading it because they enjoy my writing. Thank you very much, that's a huge complement to me! I hope that you enjoy it, and thank you for understanding the slight delay in Stasis updates. :)

In other news, yey for Link! I can't write a Zelda fanfic without having Link be a main character.

Thanks for reading and please review!

~The Wolfess

****If you enjoy my writing, please check out my major work, the Doppelganger Trilogy. You can find books 1 and 2 completed on my profile.****


	3. Chapter 3

*****ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY****

!

**In Sotto Voce**

_By The Wolfess_

!

**Chapter 3**

At breakfast the next morning, Princess Zelda was more cheery and talkative than she had been in a while. It did not go unnoticed by Princess Ruto or by King Daphnes, who was looking gray-faced and worn out at the end of the table. After a little while, the king dabbed his mouth clean with his napkin and finally asked the question that was on both of their minds. "We missed you at dinner last night," he started. "How did your lunch with the trainee go? What was her name again…."

"Impa, father, and it was wonderful," Zelda answered, her voice filled with excitement. "I already knew that she was strong, but she also reads and enjoys riding horse and all sorts of things. We were having such a good time talking that we completely forgot dinner until the sunset reminded us of the time."

"Well, let's hope you don't forget another dinner!" Ruto said, glaring slightly. The zora princess felt very uncomfortable when left alone to talk to the King. Zelda didn't know what her problem was.

"I shall try," Zelda said. Turning back to her father, she returned to the subject of Impa. "I really do like her, father."

The King smiled. "That is good to hear, my dear," he said. "I will tell you what. Spend this week with her. If at the end of the week you still enjoy her company, then I will talk to Captain Raltz, her supervising officer, about the promotion."

Zelda was so happy that she jumped out of her chair, walked over to King Daphnes, and gave him a big hug. He looked surprised and slightly awkward as he patted her back. "Thank you, father!" she said, grinning from ear to ear and stepping back. "Speaking of Impa, she is waiting outside the door for me to finish breakfast. May I have your leave to go?"

The King waved her away, laughing a little. "Go, go! Off with you! Have fun, my sweet princess, and be safe."

"I will father!" Zelda called over her shoulder. She was already halfway to the door.

Ruto looked from the retreating princess to the king and back. "Hey, Zelly! Wait for me!" she called out. Saying a quick pardon to the king, she left her food half eaten and rushed out of the breakfast hall after her blond-haired friend.

Sure enough, even though Zelda had left breakfast early the sheikah was waiting for her. The princess found Impa leaning against a nearby wall, her Great Sword strapped to her back. She was wearing her trainee tunic and white tabard today and appeared slightly sweaty.

Impa smiled and pushed herself off the wall when she saw Zelda exit the breakfast hall. "Good morning, Zelda," she said as the blond princess walked over to her.

As she was coming to expect to be normal, Zelda's heart fluttered a little as she stood near Impa and the sheikah flashed that brilliant smile at her. "Good morning, yourself," she said, unable to stop herself from grinning like an idiot. She had been up half the night thinking about the day they shared yesterday and what they would do on the morrow. "Did you sleep well?" she asked.

"Briefly, but yes," Impa replied. Ruto approached the pair as Impa continued. "I woke up early to get my training in before I met you. I apologize for my appearance. It went late, and I feared that if I showered and changed I would miss you."

Zelda shook her head. "I do not mind," she said. Truth be told, she liked seeing Impa without her armor and decoration. It was dressed as a trainee when the two princesses had first noticed her across the yard. "By the way, Impa, this is Princess Ruto of the Zora people. She is my father's ward for the next few years. I mentioned her to you yesterday."

Impa bowed. "Well met, my Lady," she said.

Ruto put a hand on her hip. "Oh, don't do that," she said. "I'm not a 'my Lady' at all. Just call me Ruto and I won't have to slap you."

"Ruto!" Zelda snapped, glaring at the fish-girl.

Impa laughed. "It's okay, Zelda," she said, still chuckling. She bowed a little at the Zora princess. "I will be sure to call you just Ruto from now on, unless otherwise instructed."

Ruto crossed her arms. "I think I like her already," she said to Zelda. "I can see why you were so thrilled to tell you your father all about her this morning." The blond princess blushed and shot daggers at the zora with her eyes. Ruto ignored the look, but she didn't miss the way that Impa smiled when the color crept into Zelda's cheeks, nor the way that they unconsciously stood slightly closer together.

"You told the King about me?" Impa asked Zelda, still smiling at the princess's blush.

Zelda only turned redder than before. Ruto resisted the urge to roll her eyes. _These two are as bad as young lovers with a first crush,_ she thought, but she kept her observations to herself for once.

"Yes, I did tell him about you," Zelda said, tucking a lock of blond hair behind her ear. "He asked how our day went, since I was absent at supper. I had only good things to say."

"Well, thank you," Impa said, crossing her arms in front of her. "I hope that I am as interesting today as I apparently was yesterday."

"Okay, okay, enough you two. Third person in the room, remember?" Ruto interrupted. "What are we going to do today, huh?"

Zelda folded her hands in front of her. "Well, I thought we could go riding around Hyrule field. With Impa around, we will be more than protected."

Ruto threw up her hands. "FINALLY!" she exclaimed. "Something different! Thank you IMPA! I thought I was going to die of boredom."

Impa chuckled, clearly amused by the Zora princess. "It sounds lovely, and I would be honored to be the escort of two princesses for a day." She grinned at them both.

Zelda had the attendants ready the horses while she and Ruto retired to their rooms to change into riding gear. Impa waited in the hall. Changed and ready to go, the three women hurried out to the stables and mounted their horses. It was a sunny day, perfect for a ride. Impa trailed behind and kept an eye out while the two princesses led the way. They rode around the field for a while, and then down to the shores of Lake Hylia and up to Faron Woods. As they wandered through the large trees and around the huge form of the Deku Tree, Zelda's brow furrowed.

"Do you see that?" she said, pulling up on the reins of her white mare. Ruto and Impa also stopped. They looked around, but neither of them saw what the princess was seeing. Zelda pointed upward at the canopy of the Deku Tree. "His leaves," she explained. "They are dying."

Sure enough, when Impa and Ruto looked closer they could see that Zelda was right. His leaves were turning red and brown, and a few had already fallen. Ruto's fins flickered in a kind of shiver. "What could cause that?" she asked, her voice a whisper.

Impa frowned. "An evil wind," she said. "The leaves of the Deku Tree only fall when evil has come into the world."

Zelda nodded. "The turning of the next Divine Cycle. The servants have been gossiping about 'signs' of it. I suppose this is our confirmation." Her eyes met Impa's with a gaze that was heavy with implied meaning. Ruto may not be read enough to know what that meant on the large scale, but the princess knew that Impa would understand.

"If that is true," started the sheikah, spinning her mount around to look in different directions, "then we should leave this forest immediately. It is tainted by the touch of evil and could be home to evil creatures."

Ruto shivered again. "Fine by me. This place is giving me the creeps now anyway."

They turned their mounts toward the nearest exit, and Impa kept a careful eye around them as they left. She noted the sickly brownish moss growing on the tree trunks and the gray appearance to the once well-lit forest. She also noted the lack of living activity. No birds sang, no small creatures moved, no bugs floated through the air, nothing. Faron Forest was lifeless, sickly, and dying. This was not a good sign.

When they were out of the forest, they turned their mounts back toward Hyrule Castle. The desire to ride had left them all. They skirted around the edge of the volcanic Eldin fields on their way back, where Zelda paused just long enough to look for similar signs of sickness there. Unable to see anything from the distance they were at and unwilling to traverse such dangerous lands, they moved on. While Ruto and Impa went on to talk about other things, the hylian princess rode in silence, mulling over what they had seen and its implications.

They reached the castle late and soon parted. Impa went to have supper with the trainees in the barracks, and the princesses had a quiet supper with the King. None of them were particularly talkative, and they passed most of it in silence. Afterward, the two princesses sat in their nightgowns in Zelda's room. There was a chill in the air, so a servant crouched by the hearth working on a fire. "So, Impa," Ruto said, cutting to the chase after the servant had left.

Zelda snapped out of her thoughts and blinked. "What about her?" she asked.

Ruto rolled her eyes. "Come on, Zel. I don't think you two need a week. You're practically smitten with each other."

Zelda furrowed her brow for the second time that day. "I do not know what you mean," she said, honestly. She liked being around Impa, but she didn't know if 'smitten' was quite the word.

"Sure you don't," Ruto rolled her eyes. "All those sparks flying, I'm surprised you two don't start fires when you come within two feet of each other."

Zelda started at her with a blank expression.

"Wait…" Ruto blinked. "Wait, you really don't know, do you?"

Zelda shook her head. "What sparks? She only knows fire and water magic, not electric. And she seems to be well in control of her power."

Ruto's eyes got wide and she nodded her head. "Wow," she said, drawing out the word. "Well, never mind I guess." She got up, obviously not interested in hanging out with the hylian princess if there wasn't juicy gossip involved. "Someday when you do figure out what I'm talking about, Zel, come talk to me," she said before she left. "The Zoras are a more…fluid people. It's not so uncommon there."

Zelda looked utterly confused. "Fluid people? What are you talking about? You are an aquatic race, of course your people are fluid."

Ruto grinned. "It's okay, Zelly. You read a lot of books, and I know some of those are more on the…romantic side. Or some clinical study of the similarities between Zora, Sheikah, and Gerudo cultures, perhaps. Either way, you'll come across it someday." With that, she left before Zelda could say anything in reply. The princess sat on her bed beneath her big comforter and hugged her knees into her chest, staring into the fire. She tried to puzzle out Ruto's cryptic words, but soon she found her mind drifting off to the topics it seemed to love best these days: the evil presence in they had discovered in Faron Forest, and Impa. Laden with worry and emotion as she was, it wasn't long before the hylian girl laid back on her pillows and fell asleep.

~! #$%^&amp;*()

For the next three days, the princess and the trainee met in the same place at the same time. Zelda had tried to push her father into talking to her about what was going on in his meetings, knowing that they would be related to what she saw in Faron Forest and perhaps she could help, but he refused to budge and just encouraged her to focus on her schoolwork or finding a suitable bodyguard. As frustrated as she was by his silence, she was glad to have an excuse to get to know the sheikah better without feeling too guilty about ignoring the state of the world for the sake of her own pleasure.

The princess tried to have something planned for their amusement, but soon their respective duties started to get in the way of her plans. Impa had to accompany Zelda to her classes on the fifth day, which prevented them from talking much at all. Luckily the sheikah seemed to be interested in what the Masters were teaching. She took notes and helped Zelda to study later in the evening. Then, on the sixth day, Impa had to prepare for her final test to take place the next morning. Zelda sat on the sidelines in the yard, no longer caring about whether they were seen together or not. If the whole of Hyrule didn't already know about this "trial period" then the servants weren't peddling their gossip well enough.

Halfway through her training routine, Impa stopped and sheathed her Great Sword. Sweaty and red-faced, she came over to Zelda with a young man at her side, the same blond that Ruto liked so much. "Thank you for staying," said the sheikah as she stopped just short of the princess. "I really need to train. I'm nervous about tomorrow."

Zelda shook her head. "No thanks needed," she said, flashing Impa a smile. "You helped me yesterday and now you have a big test of your own. I do not think you should worry, though. You are much better than any other knight I have seen." She paused, and then added, in sotto voce, "I do enjoy watching you though."

Impa bit her lip, smiling a little, and then cleared her throat. "Actually, I'd like to introduce you to my sparring partner," she said. Link stepped up beside her, smiling politely. "His name is Link, and he's pretty exceptional himself. He is one of the few I call friend."

Zelda smiled and held out her hand. Link took it and bowed. "Hello Link," Zelda said. "It is nice to meet you."

"You as well, your Majesty," he said, smiling at her.

"We were just going to take a lunch break," Impa said, looking from one to the other. "Did you want to join us in the hall, princess? Unless you would prefer something more private. Being around a bunch of loud, rude soldiers probably isn't your idea of good afternoon."

Zelda stood and brushed her dress off. "No, I would be happy to join you. Thank you for the invitation."

The three went to the mess hall, where a buffet-style lunch was being served. Men went through the line with their plates and then sat down once they had their food. Princess Zelda went through the line like all the rest of them. With Link on her left and Impa on her right, she didn't feel as nervous as she normally would have. The commanding officer waved them over to his table when he saw her, and they passed the lunch hour listening to him talk about the successes—and needs—of the Knight Academy.

Impa and Link ate with their faces practically in their plates, feeling out of place at the high table in such a discussion. Zelda, however, was in her element. She listened attentively and carried on a conversation with the commanding officer, commenting on what he said and throwing in ideas of her own. By the time lunch ended, the princess promised to talk to her father about the Knight Academy's needs, and Impa was feeling awe-struck. For all her shyness, Zelda was a natural diplomat. It was a new side to the princess that left Impa feeling more intrigued by the blond woman than ever.

Impa and Link continued training for the second half of the day. Zelda talked and joked with them both when appropriate. Other times, she just watched. Ruto came down to join them for a little while, but she got pulled back to her studies when Master Horwell spotted her and scolded her about needing to be in the classroom doing her makeup work. At the end of the day, Impa finally sheathed her sword. She and Link were both sweating and breathing hard. He more so than her, but he had definitely held his own for a while.

"Thanks Link," Impa said, patting the younger man on the back. "I think I'm ready.

He nodded. "Any time. You're definitely ready, if how sore my shoulders feel means anything. I need to go soak them or I won't be able to move tomorrow." He leaned backwards, stretching his back, and took a deep breath of air. Then he turned to the princess, as if just remembering that she was still there. "Hey," he said to Zelda, "it was really nice meeting you, Princess."

Zelda smiled and nodded. "It was nice to meet you as well, Link," she said. "Have a nice bath."

He waved as he walked toward the male barracks. She waved back. When she turned her eyes back to Impa, the sheikah was watching her with a smile on her face. "What?" Zelda asked.

Impa shook her head. "You're just kind of amazing, that's all. You didn't have to stay the whole day, you know. I'm sure it must have been boring."

Zelda laughed a little and tilted her head like she did when she was confused. "I was never bored, like I told you before. And thank you, but what do you mean? What did I do that was so 'amazing'?"

Impa smiled and sat down on the bench beside the princess. "Nothing. It's just that I never expected the Princess of Hyrule would be quite like you."

Zelda shrugged. "Well, this is me. All the time, twenty four-seven." She looked around, as if scanning the grounds for unseen eyes, and then she reached over and laced her fingers through Impa's on the bench between them. For a moment, she just looked around at the grounds and held Impa's hand, as if chewing over her next words. Impa waited patiently. Her thumb began to stroke the back of Zelda's knuckles unconsciously.

When Zelda finally, spoke, her words were soft and hesitant. "My father will ask for my verdict tomorrow night," she said, finally looking down at their joined hands. "Impa…if I tell him that I want you, then you will be bound to me. For the rest of your life. Waking and sleeping, day and night, in sickness and in health, in peace and in war…until sickness render you unable to perform your duties or death parts us. I will be frank with you, Impa. If what we saw in the forest is a true indication of the state of the Cycle, as I believe it is, then there will be more sickness and war than health and peace."

The princess would not raise her eyes from where their fingers were laced together. Impa could hear the question in her statement. She could hear the young girl still alive in the woman, still unsure about herself and her decisions. Impa angled her body toward Zelda until their knees touched. She lifted her free hand and took Zelda's other hand in her own.

"It _is _a lot to ask," she started, "and before I met you, I would have said that it was a lot to give. I had other dreams, other aspirations. They would not be able to happen now. I would be giving them up in order to serve you." Zelda raised her blue eyes to meet Impa's red ones. The sheikah could see the tears welling in the princess's gaze, and her heart melted. "That was before I met you," she reiterated, holding the princess with her eyes. "Now that I do know you better, I've been reevaluating my life. My dreams. My plans for the future. It all seems…hollow. All of it except for serving you. Somehow I feel…oh, like this is my destiny maybe? Like you are my destiny, or at least a large part of it. The elders would laugh at me. I've never been one for this 'destiny' stuff. But…I can think of no better way to spend my life than bound to you, Princess Zelda. You will be the sun, and I will be your shadow. You the moon and stars, and I the black space that holds you." She leaned forward until their noses almost touched, but not quite that far. "Through sickness and war, and hopefully through peace as well, until death parts us."

Tears did fall from Zelda's eyes now, but she was smiling. She muffled a sob in the back of her hand and then threw her arms around Impa's neck. The sheikah's eyes widened as she felt the princess's body press into hers. Her heart started beating harder as she wrapped her arms around the princess's waist. "Thank you, Impa," Zelda murmured into the sheikah's neck, and the red-eyed woman suppressed a shiver as she felt the princess's breath brush her skin. Zelda let go and dried her eyes with a lacy handkerchief. "Oh, look at me, blubbering all over you," the girl laughed.

Impa laughed with her, even as a warning light went off inside of her heart. She set it aside for later and kept her attention on Zelda. "We had both better go wash up. I've been training all day and I'm disgusting, so I have no idea how you could possibly hug me," she said, trying her best to sound flippant about the embrace when the contact had felt anything but.

Zelda laughed. "You are right. I should go freshen up for supper with father. I think that I will tell him the good news tonight, and then we will not have to wait another day. We will have so much to celebrate tomorrow!"

Impa smiled, and Zelda didn't notice that it didn't quite reach her eyes. "That's great!" the sheikah said. She stood up and held out a hand to help the princess to her feet. Impa swallowed the lump in her throat as she held the princess's hand a moment longer than she should. "Will you come to the test tomorrow?" she asked, letting the hope leak into her voice.

Zelda nodded. "Of course," she answered. "I would not miss it for anything."

"Thank you," Impa smiled at the princess. Zelda gave her hand a little squeeze, returning the smile, and then they said their goodnights. Impa picked up her Great Sword and strapped it to her back again. As she watched the lithe form of the retreating princess, her feet stayed planted right where they were. She turned her thoughts inward, examining the internal warning she had ignored a moment before. A warrior had to be in control of all her faculties, and she had felt something for Zelda that was unidentified. To name a feeling gave one control over it. The embrace they shared came to mind, and their tender words, and the furtive touch of their hands. Dread curled in the pit of Impa's stomach. Her eyes widened as they found the last golden glimpse of Zelda's retreating form turning a corner of the yard out of sight.

Why hadn't she noticed it before? It was so obvious. Was she dumb? Impa had been so engrossed in her warrior training for so long, with nothing to distract her, that she hadn't noticed the electricity sparking between them. Had she forgotten what feelings like love and attraction felt like? Like the fluid cultures of the zora and the gerudo, the sheikah—a race of shadow people—were not as rigid in their definitions of sexuality as the hylians were. Same sex relationships were common place. Still, this was not acceptable. This could not be happening, especially with the threat of the war and the next Cycle hanging in the air. There must be some mistake in her own identification of the warning. There couldn't be a worse time or worse _person._

And yet, when Impa thought back on her interactions with the princess she could see now that it _had been_ happening from the very start, and the feelings certainly didn't seem one-sided. The way that Zelda blushed or smiled at her. The way she was always trying to touch her in little ways. The way their touches lingered when no one was near. How could she have been so blind? Zelda was five years younger than her, although they were about the same height. What if it was all just a school-girl crush, and the princess would wake up one day not feeling anything for her, and they would be stuck together forever? Even worse, what if they _did_ fall in love and stay together as Zelda became the Queen of Hyrule and had to get married and have kids? The Throne must have an heir who carries the Blood of the Goddess Hylia.

Impa sunk down right where she stood and stared, stunned, into the distance. She and Zelda would be together every waking moment of every day for the rest of their lives, through peace and, more likely now, through war. Only terrible things could come of this _thing_ between them, these inconvenient emotions…but she was in too deep to stop it now. It was too late to run to Zelda's dinner table, right in front of the King, and take her response back. How would that look in front of the reigning sovereign of the Kingdom of Hyrule? How much would it hurt the princess, especially after their heartfelt words only a few moments ago? She hadn't been thinking about that…she hadn't realized…

Nonetheless, a small voice inside of the sheikah's soul insisted that Zelda was essential to her life from now on, a part of her destiny in the grand scheme of the universe. Impa was attracted to the Princess of Hyrule. She said it to herself, praying that from this moment on, for the rest of her professional relationship with Princess Zelda, she could control those feelings. Years of training had prepared her for this. The sheikah warrior had been taught to master any emotion, no matter how painful or beautiful, for the sake of honor and duty. She had just committed her whole life to Zelda's service, whatever the princess's needs might be, and there was no going back. Impa would just have to figure it out as they went along. Her responsibility would have to come first, no matter the cost to her heart.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

**Author's Notes:** Hello everyone, and welcome to another chapter! I hope everyone continues to enjoy this little side quest!

Thank you for reading and, as always, please review.

~The Wolfess

****If you enjoy my writing, please check out my major work, the Doppelganger Trilogy. You can find books 1 and 2 completed on my profile.****


	4. Chapter 4

*****ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY****

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**In Sotto Voce**

_By The Wolfess_

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**Chapter 4**

Impa slept fitfully. Her mind was too full of worries to allow her to fully enter deep sleep. When the first light of dawn crept through the window in the female barracks, she woke, dressed, and went out to the main square with her Great Sword to go through her steps again. She knew that she was over preparing. When the test came, she would ace it with no problem and finally be enlisted in the Hyrulian Army—and Princess Zelda's personal service.

It was that thought that sent her to the practice slate that morning. Going through her steps made her feel more centered and at peace. With her hand on the hilt of a sword was when Impa felt at home in her own skin. Battle magic would not be tested that day, but she wanted to use it in her personal showcase at the end. There was a light drizzle this morning and she focused on practicing her water steps. As she had only been practicing them for three years she did not consider herself a master yet. Doing it during the rain was the best time. She could use the increased moisture in the air to create particularly deadly attacks, and today she felt the need to hit something really hard.

Grand Master Rauru had taught her much of the ways of water magic with her Great Sword, as well as fire magic with her Naginata. The sheikah had left the Naginata with him when she left to become a knight. Fire magic was too dangerous for the mass-training setting that the Knight Academy offered, and it could hurt someone far too easily. There was no way to tone down a fire attack. But water was different. She could tone down her water attacks so that they hit like a spring rain rather than like a hurricane.

Besides being easier to control, water was particularly therapeutic. It could be fierce when Impa felt angry or gentle when she felt sad. No matter what she was struggling with, if it was an emotional problem she could figure it out in the Great Sword's water dance. Today, as the morning light struggled to shine between patchy clouds and rain fell through beams of sunlight and evaporated off of Impa's skin like steam, the sheikah was particularly deadly.

One, two, jump, turn, three, and water. One, two, water, three, turn, and water. Impa twirled the giant sword around her body as if it was made of paper. Her steps were a rhythm, her body the music. _To use water_, Rauru had said, _you have to let your emotions flow. Control them, harness them, and make them flow from you like a tidal wave_. Today, the waves were high. She gathered the rain about her blade and made it bend to her will. Sending it out from the blade, she began to form a ball of water in the air before her. It churned and strained under her control, exhibiting as much conflict in its motions as Impa felt within her heart. _Come on_, she thought, her teeth gritted as she focused on building the sphere, _behave yourself. Bend. Grow. Stay together, no, hold, no, damn you! _The ball broke apart, falling to the wet practice slate to mingle with the rain. Impa set the sword down and leaned heavily on its hilt. Her chest was heaving as she caught her breath, tears stinging her eyes unwept.

"Hey," came a voice behind her. "Are you okay?" Impa recognized it without turning.

"Go away, Link," she snapped. "Please," she added, in a softer tone. He ignored her, of course, and came over anyway. Crossing his arms over his chest, he gave her a look that said she had better talk to him or else. "I'm fine," she said, wiping her eyes as if wiping the rain from her face.

"No you're not," he said. His blond hair was getting soaked as he stood with her in the downpour. "I've seen you practice enough times to know that the only time you can't control that water sphere is when you're really stressed about something."

Impa sighed. "You don't understand," she started, but Link shook his head.

"I do. You're nervous about today. Don't be!" He clapped her on the back and looked, pointedly, to her sword. "The fact that you can control water magic at all means that you'll pass this with flying colors."

Impa smiled. That wasn't what was bothering her, but he meant well. "Thank you Link," she said. "Hey, let's just go to breakfast. Maybe I'll feel better when I eat." They walked to the great hall in silence, where they ate in silence. One of the things Impa appreciated about Link's company was that he was okay with being quiet. It was a rare trait, and a valuable one for any observant warrior. When they were done eating, they went to their respective barracks to freshen up and change in to clean uniforms for the ceremony. They met in the practice square, both wearing their full uniforms with tunic, chainmail, white trainee tabard, blue bracers, and brown leather gloves. A crowd was already gathering for the ceremony. Link's mouth fell open as he looked up at the crowds gathered on the ground and up on the battlements.

"I have never seen so many people in this place," he murmured. "Youngest woman to ever graduate the Knight Academy. Big event I guess, right? You really draw a crowd."

Impa shook her head. "They're not here to see me," she said, looking across at the privileged section. Link followed her gaze and spotted the King of Hyrule and the two princesses sitting in the front row. Impa sighed a little as Princess Zelda waved at her, although she returned the wave and forced a smile. Out of the corner of her mouth, she said, "They're here to see who this mysterious person is who has captured Princess Zelda's interest."

"Oh," Link said, his brow furrowing in confusion. Her attitude and body language were so different today than they had been yesterday, but he didn't say anything. Now was definitely not the time to ask what had changed. "I suppose that's going to be your life now, huh? If you take the position." He said instead.

Impa's smile softened, and something real came into her expression, something strangely pensive and tender. "No," she whispered, still looking over at Zelda as they made their way around the crowd to get in formation with the other recruits. Impa would be called out from among them during the ceremony. "Let them gawk," she said, her voice tinged with disdain. "They don't matter. The 'fame', if that's what you'd call it, will have no part in my new life. I'll tell you what my life is going to be," the sheikah paused just before they reached the other trainees. She glanced at Link, and then turned her red gaze back to the princess. "I told her yes last night, Link," Impa's voice was soft, barely loud enough for him to hear. "It's done. No 'ifs' or 'would be' anymore, and no turning back. My new life is sitting right over there, in a ceremonial-style pink dress with golden plate jewelry, smiling at me. Nothing in this world matters but her safety, not anymore."

"Wow," Link murmured. He suddenly understood what was bothering her earlier that morning, at least part of it. "I didn't think about it that way before. That's pretty intense, Impa. Are you sure you're ready for something like that? You're just now becoming a soldier."

Impa laughed a little, the sound ever so slightly bitter. "No, Link," she said. "I'm not sure at all." With that, she left him to get in her place in the formation. Link stepped into his, and they waited for the head of the trainees, Captain Raltz, to start the ceremony.

It wasn't long before the captain stepped into the center of the practice slate. One of the generals joined him, and together they turned and bowed before the king. They stayed bowed, their fists over their hearts, as King Daphnes got to his feet.

"At ease," he said, his great voice booming over the crowd. Captain Raltz and the General straightened and waited for the king to continue. King Daphnes smiled a little. It was obvious that he was looking forward to seeing Impa's Presentation of Skill. "I have been told that you have an exceptional recruit to present to me for judgment?" he asked.

Captain Raltz bowed as he answered. "Yes, your Grace. If it pleases your Grace, we would like to present her skills to you."

King Daphnes motioned with both hands toward the practice slate. "By all means! Proceed." He sat down, and Impa bounced on her toes a little. This was it.

The General stood back just enough to be off the practice slate. He and the king would judge Impa's presentation together. Captain Raltz would conduct it. He came over to the front of the formation and spoke as loudly as he could. "Impa! Come forward to be tested!"

Impa stepped out of formation and walked to the center of the practice slate. A murmur went up from the crowd as they saw the large Great Sword strapped to her back. It was rare to see a trainee with their own custom steel, let alone something so large, and Goron-made to boot as the symbol on the outside of the black scabbard indicated. Captain Raltz stood in front of her. He smiled a little. "Don't be nervous," he said, soft enough that only she could hear. Impa smiled to show she heard him, although she didn't ease her stance. He nodded, and then turned to face the king. Impa turned as well, though her eyes were locked on Zelda's face instead of his. The hylain princess seemed to beam with excitement. She smiled as their eyes met, and Impa's breath caught in her throat.

"Your Majesty, King Daphnes, and your Highness, Princess Zelda," Captain Raltz began, "I would like to present Impa of the Sheikah Tribe for your approval. She wields the Great Sword today, but also has mastery of the Naginata, not here displayed for safety purposes."

Impa bowed low, her fist over her heart. "Thank you, Captain," the King's voice boomed. "You may proceed."

Impa straightened and turned around, trying to not appear as if she was turning her back to the royalty on purpose. The truth was, the last thing she needed was Zelda's smile distracting her. Captain Raltz stepped back before he began, knowing that Impa had a large reach.

"Basic routine first," he said. Impa drew her great sword and nodded. She went through it as smoothly as if he had asked her to walk the length of the practice square and back. It was as second nature to her as walking. When she had completed that routine, he had her go through her intermediate and advanced level routines. These she likewise completed with ease. Her body was smooth and deadly, a master dancer at her art.

Finally, a grin on his face, Captain Raltz said, "Finally, your Personal Showcase please." This was where Impa would truly shine. She wasn't getting tested on this part, but this was where she got to show off anything she wanted to—and the sheikah warrior knew exactly what they wanted to see.

Impa started like she had that morning. A few basic steps, a small water move, and few more basic moves. Then she progressed into the next phase, adding more jumps and turns, larger bodies of water flowing in controlled streams where and how she dictated. Finally, Impa moved into her final set. She slashed the Great Sword around her three times. With each pass, a sphere of water grew in front of her. When it was almost as big as she was, Impa leapt up and did a somersault in the air, leading with her sword. She came down with a slash to the right, and the water splayed out in all directions from sword. She used the momentum from that slash to move her into the final set. Going through a few complicated steps, she formed a circle of runes in a watery blue light beneath her feet. It glowed brightly, reflecting on her face. Suddenly, a phantom sword made out of water appeared in her free hand. She slammed it into the ground, following it up with three others all around her. Then, one by one and using both hands, she used the water swords to attack in every direction. The water sprayed outward in a tidal wave of power, and those in the front rows got soaked.

The crowd erupted in applause. They had never seen a display of battle magic quite like that. Breathing hard, Impa swung her Great Sword back into its sheath and turned back to the king. She bowed low and waited.

King Daphnes stood, a grin on his face, and held his hands up for the crowd to quiet. When it did, he spoke. "As far as the Crown is concerned, you pass with flying colors," he said. The crowd applauded again, and the king reached for the broadsword leaning against his chair. He drew it from its sheath and raised it above his head. Everyone quieted as the King of Hyrule stepped over to Impa. "Please kneel, Impa."

Impa went down on one knee, her fist over her heart. "You kneel a knight in training," King Daphnes said. He brought the sword down on her left shoulder, and then her right, and finally the top of her head: forming the perfect sign of the Holy Triforce. "And you rise, Captain Impa, an anointed knight and Captain of Hyrule." Amidst the applause a small collective gasp could be heard. Not only was Impa the _youngest_ female to ever graduate the Knight Academy, but _no one_, male _or_ female, had ever skipped the base ranks all together and been promoted straight to captain. It was unheard of.

Despite herself, Impa's head snapped up and her mouth fell open. Had she heard right? The king saw the surprise on her face and he laughed. "It is okay, Captain Impa, you can rise now. You heard me correctly." The sheikah swallowed and stood. She bowed from the waist.

"Your Grace has honored me above all others," she said. "I pray that I can live up to this privilege with my service."

"Oh, you will," the King said. For a moment, Impa thought that she saw an odd look pass across his face. It was gone so quickly that she dismissed it as a figment of her imagination. "I have not seen nor read of someone with your skill in decades, and my army is in sore need of a blade like yours. Not only that, but my daughter has incredible confidence in you. You will serve her, and Hyrule Kingdom itself, honorably." It was half a statement and half a command.

"Yes, your Grace," Impa replied. The King handed his sword to the nearest attendant and patted Impa on the shoulder one last time before he walked away. He was a busy man with lots to do, and she felt honored that he had taken the time to attend her ceremony at all. It was often delegated down to one of the higher generals.

Captain Raltz dismissed the recruits, and both they and the crowds began to disburse. Before Impa had time to process what had just happened, she found herself surrounded by people. Some of them were recruits she had a rapport with, some upper-rank officials who wanted to set dates to meet with her, and even more people she didn't know. They all wanted to congratulate her on her historical promotion, and get an up-close look at this person who seemed to come into their lives out of nowhere.

Being a rather small man, Link shouldered his way through the crowd easily. "HEY! CONGRADULATIONS!" he shouted above the din, slapping her on the back and shaking her hand at the same time. "CAPTAIN Impa! I can't believe it!"

Seeing that she was with a friend, the crowd began to drift away. "I know, right?" Impa said in a more normal volume, grinning from ear. "It feels so surreal!"

Link's eyes shifted to something over Impa's right shoulder. He smiled and pointed, keeping his hand low enough that only Impa would see him point. "Don't look now, but your life is walking over," he said, shooting the sheikah a grin.

"I would like to slap you for that," Impa growled under her breath as she turned around.

"Anytime, Captain, anytime," Link grinned. He bowed as the two princesses grew close enough. "Good morning, your Highnesses."

Ruto's eyes were sparkling with obvious excitement. She hadn't gotten to speak with the blond recruit before, and she was already blushing. "Good morning! Link, I believe?" she said. He nodded, looking slightly uncomfortable. Ruto turned to Impa. "Hey! WOW I knew you were good, but that was amazing! That move at the end was something special."

Link perked up, as if just remembering something. "Oh yeah, I walked to talk to you about that. Where did that come from?! I've never seen it before!"

Impa rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment. "I have been working on it in private," she said. "I didn't know if I was going to be able to pull it off, given…ah, my troubles this morning with the sphere. Praise the goddesses that they gave me the strength."

"Well, it was awesome," he said. Then he tugged on the edge of her trainee tabard. "I guess you're going to get a new one of these now. The blue and white checkered one that the knights wear."

"Actually, in my service you can wear whatever you feel comfortable in," Zelda piped up, speaking for the first time. "Since we are going to be together for a _very_ long time, after all." She blushed a little, and her eyes sparkled as she smiled at the sheikah.

Impa's breath caught in her throat again. _Damn_, she thought. She was starting to hate it when Zelda looked at her like that. The princess's beauty made her head spin. Thank goodness her back had been turned when she did the test or she never would have pulled off the water magic display at the end. Impa bowed, mostly to hide how flabbergasted she felt. "Thank you, my Lady. You and your father, the king, have honored me."

Zelda started. "Oh yes! That reminds me. My father wanted to meet with you, to discuss the details of your new position. But I wanted to have you in my solar for lunch before you go. Would you join me—all of you?" She looked at Link and Ruto as well. "It would be lovely to celebrate together."

"I'll have to check with Captain Raltz, but if I can get off Academy Campus for the day then I'll be there," Link said.

Ruto winked. "You know I'm in for anything that's celebratory."

Princess Zelda clasped her hands together in front of her. "Well, then, it's settled. I'll have it prepared in the Queen's Solar at high noon."

"I'd better get moving then," Link said. "I'll see you at noon!" He turned and trotted toward the commander's room to get permission. Impa watched him go, wishing for a moment that he was staying.

Ruto looked from one woman to the other and smirked. "You know, I think I see Master Horwell over there giving me the skink eye. I'd better make myself scarce if I don't want to end up doing make up work all afternoon," she said. Of course, Master Horwell was nowhere to be seen, but Zelda and her new Captain didn't bother to look away from each other in order to check as the zora girl pranced away.

"You were really very amazing," Zelda said, bouncing on her toes a little. "I wish that I could perform battle magic such as that."

Impa smiled. "I can teach you," she suggested. "With Grand Master Rauru's help of course. He'll help you find your natural elements, and I can help you practice them. He lives just in town down there."

"Natural elements?" the princess asked.

"Yes," Impa nodded. "Each person is naturally inclined toward one or two elements. For me, it is the passion and power of fire, and the spirituality and emotion of water."

"I wonder what mine would be?" Zelda thought out loud. "I would love to meet Grand Master Rauru and find out."

"I need to go retrieve my naginata from him soon, if you would like to accompany me," Impa suggested. "However, I already know what one of yours would be I think."

Zelda smiled. "You do? And what do you think my element would be?"

Impa reached out and touched the golden locks of Zelda's hair, unable to stop herself. She tucked a stray stand behind the princess's ear. "You would be light," she murmured, "for your soul shines like a beacon of hope and goodness in a world that can seem so dark."

Zelda blushed and bit her lower lip as she looked down at her feet. "Thank you," she murmured, her heart suddenly beating a little faster.

Impa took her hand back and clasped them together behind her back. She cleared her throat a little. "I should go freshen up," she said. "I've been practicing all morning, and am not presentable at all for civilized company."

Zelda stepped backward a little, as if suddenly realizing how close together they were standing. She looked around at the guests still lingering on the battlements. "That fine. If you will not be too long, then I shall wait for you."

Impa nodded. "I'll hurry. Be right back." She turned and almost ran back to the women's barracks. When she got there, she slammed the door shut behind her and then leaned back against it. "Get a hold of yourself," she whispered. "You're acting like _you're_ a hormonal sixteen year old again." The truth was that, other than a quiet relationship with a senior classman that ended badly when Impa left the girl to study in Castle Town, she had never really _been_ a hormonal sixteen year old. All of her emotional and physical energy had been poured into her training, leaving her little left over for emotional dalliance in relationships. She wasn't familiar with how to handle what she felt for Zelda, and that scared her more than the actual emotions she was feeling.

Impa pushed off of the door and undressed. She took a cold shower to clear her head, and then dressed in the blue sheikah uniform that was natural for her. A little voice in the back of her head suggested that Zelda seemed to like it the last time she wore it. But that was neither here nor there, she told herself, praying that if she said it enough times it would be true. She strapped her Great Sword to her back and faced the door. She took a couple measured breaths. "You have to control yourself," she said. "If this is going to work _at all _then you have to control yourself." She nodded to herself, and then walked out.

Zelda was waiting on a bench nearby, just had she had said. The princess had a book out that Impa hadn't notice before. She came and sat quietly beside the girl, not wishing to interrupt. Zelda turned the page, read a little more, and then closed the book. She held it to her chest as she turned her smile on Impa. "Hello," she said. "Was your shower refreshing?"

Impa nodded. "Yes, your Highness."

The princess paused a little at the formal address. She looked around to see if there was someone around who could overhear them. Seeing no one, she frowned a little and seemed to brush it off. "Well," she said slowly, "we have a couple of hours until lunch. What would you like to do?"

"I am at your service my Lady," Impa replied. "Whatever you would like to do is fine with me." Zelda gave her a puzzled look. Impa realized that the formalities must seem like a sudden shift, and perhaps she should ease them into a more professional relationship rather than trying to force it. "I mean to say that I haven't thought past the ceremony this morning at all. I'm still a little in shock and have no ideas on activities for the afternoon. If you have any preferences, Zelda, then I would be happy to accompany you."

Zelda gave her a peculiar look. For a moment, Impa thought that she was going to ask what was going on, and the sheikah had no idea what she would say. The question didn't get spoken, however. Instead, Zelda stood and brushed off her dress with her free hand. "We could walk, I suppose," she said. "Or go the library and read. You did say that you enjoy reading."

Impa smiled. The two women started walking, figuring that they would either end up at the library or at the solar eventually. "I do, indeed. I noticed that you have a book with you today. May I ask what it is?"

Zelda lifted the aged leather volume. "A recommendation from Ruto, actually," she said, laughing a little.

Impa laughed along with her. "Ruto reads?" she joked.

Zelda nodded. "Oh, yes! Mostly romantic legends and children's stories, to tell you the truth, but this one she mentioned off handedly as something that could 'help me', though I have no idea what ever with. It is called 'Comparative Flow and Cultural Transcendence within the Elemental Peoples of Hyrule' written by an ancient cultural scientist named Professor Mizumi."

Impa furrowed her brow. "Wait, Comparative Flow and…what? What is it about?"

Zelda giggled a little, but she smiled to show she didn't mean it maliciously. "It is the only book I could find that specifically compares the Gerudo, Zora, and Sheikah cultures. I have only just begun, but it seems to focus on the similarities between the three tribes. Each tribe identifies with different, yet similar, unpredictable elements—sand, water, and shadow, respectively. Professor Mizumi asserts that this 'elemental flow' causes a cultural transcendence of normal boundaries, a trait also shared by the three tribes."

Impa's eyes widened and her expression went blank. The sheikah knew exactly what 'cultural transcendence' and 'normal boundaries' the book was likely to discuss at length, and she was none too happy about it. If Zelda didn't know why Ruto would want her to read it, then she must not know much about same sex attraction in the first place and Impa would rather that she stay ignorant.

"Does that make sense?" Zelda asked, not sure if the explanation was still a little too complicated or not.

The sheikah blinked and then frowned. "Oh yes, perfect sense, and I'm not sure I want you to read that."

Zelda furrowed her brow. "Why not? It sounds fascinating."

Impa stopped walking and crossed her arms over her chest. "Exactly. And I'm afraid that you're going find out 'why' and discover that you don't like it." She glared at the book, as if she could set it on fire just by looking at it. "Remind me to have a _talk_ with Ruto about appropriate reading material."

Zelda stuck her chin in the air, a hint of defiance coming over her. "I can read whatever I wish," she said. "I am the Princess of Hyrule."

Impa reached over and plucked the book from Zelda's hand. The princess gasped the tried to tug it back, but the sheikah was too strong. "And still only sixteen," she said, tucking the book under her arm. "You're not ready for this."

"Of course I am!" Zelda whined, but Impa started walking again and just ignored her. Zelda trotted to keep up, then fell in step with her new bodyguard with her lips puckered in a pout. Impa glanced down at her and couldn't help but smile. The princess was even cute when she was pouting, which, she thought, was a little pathetic on her own part.

She shook her head to get the unwanted thoughts out and they ended up walking the rest of the way to the library in silence. Zelda plopped down into her favorite chair and picked up one of the other books she had piled nearby. Impa glanced at the titles to be sure there were no more Ruto recommendations in there, and then busied herself by reading the spines on the bookshelves.

Eventually, Impa heard the princess sigh behind her, and the sound of the book closing. The sheikah still had the forbidden volume tucked under her arm, and she wasn't planning on releasing it any time soon. She was standing by the window looking out on the view of the castle garden from the reading nook, but she turned around when she heard Zelda's chair creak.

The princess had risen to her feet and crossed the room to the where Impa waited. She took a seat on the window nook and patted the cushion beside her. The sheikah obliged and took a seat. "What can I help you with, my Lady?" she asked.

Zelda reached to take her hand, but Impa retracted it, pretending to need to adjust the armor on her other arm. The princess sighed and set her hands in her lap instead. "Impa," she started, her voice soft. She was looking down at her hands. "Today is the first day of the rest of our lives. I have no grand ceremonies to perform, no titles to bestow, or gifts to give to you. By all appearances, really, this day is just like any other. You will meet with my father later, and he will share his expectations with you and some history about the position. This whole business is all very official to him. His only desire is to find someone capable who will, preferably, get along with me."

Zelda reached for Impa's hand again, and this time the sheikah didn't pull it away. Their fingers intertwined, and the princess turned their hands over so that she could look at the back of Impa's armor-clad hand. "Let me tell you a little history of my own, a history my father will not tell you. Kishla was a mother to me. Before me, she was my own mother's dearest companion and fiercest champion. Before Kishla was another Impa, who was also very dear to the Zelda she served. Going back generation upon generation, the relationship between the Queens of Hyrule and their Guardians has been…unique. Special. Cherished. It is said that the Goddess Hylia herself, from whom the line of Hylian Queens began, was protected by a Sheikah woman named Impa."

Zelda covered Impa's hand with her other one, enclosing the armor and leather between her two bare, soft, warm hands. "Some scholars speculate that the line of Queens is not just a bloodline and a naming tradition, but rather that each Queen Zelda is another reincarnation of Hylia's divine soul. Perhaps that is true, or perhaps not. If it is true, then I think that the goddess must have looked through time and seen how lonely it would be at the top of the world all alone. I think that she gave herself a gift: her faithful servant and very best friend, Impa, to reincarnate alongside her and keep her company throughout the rest of time so that her existence would not be so solitary and sad."

Impa smiled, and she set the book down beside her so that she could put her other hand on top of Zelda's. "Zelda, I…"

"Please," Zelda interrupted, looking up for the first time to meet Impa's eyes. "Let me finish." Impa nodded, so the princess continued. "Last night when you accepted my offer of service, you spoke of our destinies. Ever since I first saw you, I have felt…odd. I do not have the words to explain what I feel when I am with you. I was hoping that book could help me to understand it. What I do think that I already know, however, is that if I am Hylia reborn once again, then you must be my Impa. You must be the companion born to walk through life with me. I do not think that all of the Zeldas found their Impas…so I feel blessed to have found mine. I wanted to thank you for accepting my offer. Thank you for choosing to share another lifetime with me."

Impa scooted closer and pulled the princess to her. Zelda wrapped her arms around her protector and pressed her body close. They sat there for a moment like that, wrapped in one another's embrace in the solitude of the library. Impa turned her face into toward Zelda and breathed in the scent of her hair, felt the warmth of their bodies pressed together, the rushed beating of one of their hearts, though it was impossible to tell whose. Her own heart felt like it was beating out of her chest. Any moment now, she was sure Zelda would realize that it wasn't simple companionship for her sheikah bodyguard and it would all be over. The promotion, her career, their relationship, everything.

Maybe, Impa thought, she shouldn't have ever touched the princess, shouldn't have accepted the offer in the first place. She should have just continued on her hollow path to her hollow future alone. But she couldn't help herself. _Once,_ the sheikah told herself, _just this once I will hold you, as a loyal companion would. Just this once._ "I am..." attracted to you. Falling in love with you. Want to be your eternal companion in a different way. "…always happy to serve."

Zelda pulled away. Her face looked slightly affronted, as if the formality of Impa's comment was the last thing she was expecting or wanting to hear from the sheikah's mouth when she had just poured her heart and soul out.

Just then, the door bust open. Ruto came dancing in, Link in tow. Zelda and Impa stood up quickly and took a few steps away from each other. Impa swept the book back into her arms before Zelda could grab it. "THERE you two are!" Ruto exclaimed, ignorant of tension in the room she had just walked into. "I should have figured you would be reading. And I thought YOU would help her get outside more often!"

Impa bowed. "I will aim to improve." Link, luckily, was not quite so oblivious. He raised an eyebrow at Impa, who just shook her head to indicate that she would explain later...maybe. He rolled his eyes a little, but he didn't say anything. She kept too many secrets for his liking, but there was some things that she just couldn't discuss with him. Her true feelings for Princess Zelda was one of them.

"Anyway," Ruto continued, "are we having lunch or what?"

"Absolutely," Zelda said, suddenly all smiles and celebration. It was as if nothing had just transpired between them, and Impa made a mental note of that little ability as well. The princess was, apparently, a master of what she showed of herself outwardly to the world. The sheikah wondered what all she kept hidden inside.

The princess strode out front, leading the way to the solar. Link went with her, and Ruto started to take up the tail. Impa grabbed her arm just before they left the library. "Hey!" Ruto said, immediately angry. "Get your hand off me!"

Impa let go, but she didn't back down. She shoved the book into Ruto's chest. "Keep your educational literature to yourself, zora," she snarled.

Ruto looked confused, at least until she looked down at what book it was. She laughed out loud, the sound watery and lilting. "Oh! THAT book! Why, I had no IDEA that she would pick up _that_ one."

Impa gritted her teeth and curled her hands into fists. She could hear Zelda's footsteps retreating down the hall and knew she had to wrap this up quick. "Don't give me that," she snapped. "I may not have recognized the title at first, but I recognize the description. You _know_ that there's only one book that compares the three races, and you _know_ that it details our races' similar _mating habits_. She doesn't know that it's possible for women to love other women, and I don't think she's ready to learn anytime soon."

Ruto crossed her arms over her chest. "She's not ready…or you're not?" Impa glared so hard that bursts of fire leapt off of her clenched fists, but Ruto just grinned wickedly. "Come on, sheikah," the fish-woman whispered, her tone seductive. "You and I both know that she wants you, she just doesn't know it yet." She glanced up and down Impa's body, as if taking stock. "And, if that little 'tender embrace' I just saw in the library is any indication, the feeling is mutual."

Impa spun away from the zora princess, walking in the direction that Zelda and Link had gone. "You are mistaken," she said as Ruto caught up and fell into step beside her. "I was just comforting her."

"Uh huh," Ruto said. "Right. You keep telling yourself that."

Impa stopped again and took Ruto by the arm, much gentler this time. "I mean it, Ruto," she growled. "She is the heir to the throne of Hyrule, and she must marry a king and produce heirs to continue the blood line of Hylia. There is no room for…what may, or may not exist between us. Nothing but pain will come to her if you explain to her what she's feeling."

"And for you, isn't that right? The pain would be yours most of all I think." Ruto said.

Impa looked down the hall. Link was standing just outside the solar looking around for them, so the sheikah dragged the zora back around the corner out of his sight. "My own feelings have nothing to do with this," she said. "I live to serve the House of Hylia. I merely feel the love and devotion that any knight feels for her liege lady. I only desire is to protect Her Royal Highness, as she is young and innocent to the ways of the world."

"Whatever you say," Ruto said, wrenching her arm from Impa's grasp. She stepped back and rubbed her arm a little. "I won't tell her anything. But, Impa, I'm the heir the Zora Kingdom. I've had just as many female loves as I have had male loves…so don't think you can fool me for one minute. She's going to figure out what she's feeling whether I help her or not. I tease her, but Princess Zelda is the wisest woman alive. It won't take her long to ask herself why she wants to touch you all the time and enjoys being in your arms, but feels nothing when touched in the same way by the knights and lords who seek her favor. Once she asks _that_ question, well…" Ruto winked, but her mannerism was grave. "You had best be ready to love her back, sheikah. A woman scorned can be a bad thing, but a Queen scorned can be a nightmare. It's not just your heart on the line." She held up a hand and cupped it as if holding an apple. "If you have her…you have Hyrule itself in the palm of your hand. How you treat her will be reflected in how she treats her subjects. And you have to live with that."

Impa sighed. "I never asked for this," she said. "I never asked to have her."

Ruto shrugged and started walking toward the solar. "Too bad. Think of it as gift with strings."

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

**Author's Notes:** Hello everyone! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Two things going on right now: NaNoWriMo causing TONS of work to be done on this story! Also, MAJORA'S MASK 3D! So happy. :D Thank you for reading and please review!

~The Wolfess

****If you enjoy my writing, please check out my major work, the Doppelganger Trilogy. You can find books 1 and 2 completed on my profile.****


	5. Chapter 5

*****ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY****

!

**In Sotto Voce**

_By The Wolfess_

!

**Chapter 5**

By the time that Impa stood outside the meeting hall where she waited for the King's convenience to see her, she was a ball of nerves. Ruto's words bothered her more than she thought they would, and she was mulling them over in her head. How to stop Zelda from asking herself that particular question? How to prevent her from figuring out what she was feeling? Impa had sensed the tension in Zelda's body as she sat at the princess's right hand and they all had a merry little lunch. Poor Link was the only one who probably had no idea what was going on, and Impa planned to keep it that way. He was a nice guy and a good friend, but this wasn't his problem. She didn't want to burden him with her struggles.

Once the lunch was over, Ruto skipped out merrily, the accursed book under one arm, and left the three of them alone. Link took his leave shortly after that, noting the fact that _he _was still a trainee and had a lot of practicing to do if he wanted to make it out like Impa had. That left Impa and Zelda alone. They shared some overly-polite discussion and then Zelda noted that Impa still needed to go meet with her father.

So here she was, sitting on a bench outside a pair of doors as tall as the great hall itself, waiting to see the King about his daughter. _If my grandmother knew what I had gotten myself into, she'd be rolling over in her grave_, Impa thought. _Get yourself exactly where you need to go in life and screw it up by having feelings for the princess. Stupid, stupid, stupid. _

Finally, the doors creaked open, and a small soldier stepped out. "His Majesty the King bids you to enter," he said. Impa grunted her thanks as she passed by. She was too nervous for many audible words just about now.

The Great hall was dimly lit when she entered. A few torches hung on the walls, and the shutters were close on all the windows. Rather than sitting on his throne, she found the king seated at a wooden table in the middle of the hall. He had parchments and scrolls strewn all about him and was studying them in the light of a single candleholder. The small flame cast shadows over his face, making it difficult to make out his facial expression. When the soldier closed the door behind her, the clank of it shutting made him look up.

"Ah! Captain Impa. Come, come and take a seat across from me." He motioned to the chair on the other side of the table. Impa walked over, bowed respectfully, and then sat. "I am so glad that you have come. Now you see what royalty truly does, young sheikah. We sit and read and sign things. Or sit and listen to people. Either way, there is always someone needing something that needs your approval, and a lot of sitting on your royal arse. I am very glad to have a reprieve."

"I'm honored to be here, your Majesty. I can't thank you enough," Impa said. She noted that his face looked drawn and tired. His skin had a slightly gray tone to it. She wondered if he was getting much sleep, and what could be worrying him enough to rob him of his rest. She thought back to the Deku Tree and Zelda's talk of her father's secretive, closed-door meetings.

King Daphnes waved her comment away, as if trying to clear cobwebs from in front of his eyes. "I have actually been monitoring your development since long before you came to the training program. Kishla was a trusted advisor, and we knew she would need a replacement someday. She was getting old and has served three separate Zeldas at different stages in their lives. You showed promise at a very young age. It was only a matter of time before I got an excuse to put you where I have wanted you—in my daughter's service, and my own."

Impa blinked. She had no idea that the King had been following her development for so long. As much as that seemed out of nowhere—you would think that someone would have told her that the King of Hyrule was watching her development—she decided to brush it off as something that Kishla and the King kept to themselves. She made a mental note to speak to Elder Kishla about it later. King Daphnes continued, obviously a man of many great thoughts with little time to express them. "Speaking of my daughter, tell me what you think of her, and be honest. I am your sovereign."

"I—well, your Grace, I have only known her for a little while. But, so far I think she's rather incredible."

The King chuckled and tapped his fingers on the table. "Hah hmm, yes. She_ is_ incredible, that is true. Well, she happens to think that you are the best thing since she read her first book all by herself. I have no idea what it is about you that makes her so happy, but it pleases my heart to see it. She has been lonely of late. The past few years as she has begun to grow into a woman, she has also begun to retreat inside herself. I want her to experience more of life. I want her to get in trouble and make mistakes." He must have seen the surprise on Impa's face, because he laughed out loud. "Why do you think I brought that troublemaking Princess Ruto here? Out of generosity? HA! No, I am hoping that she will help Zelda get out of that library. She agreed to do her best, and she has quite a reputation for being a troublemaker in her own Kingdom. Her father, King Zora, was more than willing to do me a favor."

Impa had to laugh as well. It appeared that there was a lot more to the Zora Princess than anyone thought. "I don't know how much help that I will be getting her in trouble," Impa said, "but I will do my best to get her out to see more of the world, if that is your desire your Majesty."

King Daphnes sighed, reaching up one large hand to stroke his long brown beard. "Yes, Impa that _is_ one task I have for you. I am sure you have noticed already…she is very intelligent, in some ways more wise than the wisest sage. However, in other ways she is still very ignorant. She knows nothing of the ways of the world. Kishla and I have sheltered her too much. Been too protective. I want her to learn more about the world without getting hurt by it overmuch. I do not want her to be blindsided by the darkness in the world when she is Queen, but I also do not want her to be scarred by it. I understand that this is not an easy task for you, but I would have it of you just the same."

"Yes, your Majesty. I will."

"Good. Now, there are some other details you should be aware of in your new position. First, you will be my primary contact when it comes to my daughter. I do not see her often, and you will be her mother and father in my absence. You should come to know her in and out as you two spend more time together, and at times I will have need of that knowledge. Therefore, if I call on you do not be afraid to come. You are as good as part of the family, now, so interrupt me as necessary, but with discretion."

"Yes, your Majesty."

"Second, your daily expectations. You are Zelda's shadow. Your place is at the princess's side, you know that already. You will eat breakfast and dinner in the main hall with us, lunch with the princess in whatever manner she sees fit, and attend all royal functions at which the princess is present. At balls, you will be at her side. If she dances, you will be two steps away." The shadows cast over his features by the candlelight seemed to deepen. His face was grave, and his eyes seemed to look not a_t _Impa, but _through_ her. "Always watching, Impa. There is evil in this kingdom, do not doubt."

"Of course, your Majesty."

The King seemed to snap out of whatever he was thinking about and move on, as if checking items off of a list. "Good. Next, sleeping arrangements and living accommodations. The subject of ages' worth of gossip. You will sleep in the same room as the princess, yes, but it is a nook set off from her room about the size of a large closet. You will have your own bed and storage space for your personal belongings. We will not make you sleep on the floor or, goddesses forbid, _share _her bed as they did in ancient times. We are not that barbaric any longer. I do need you in the same room, however, for two reasons: to protect her, yes, first and foremost. However, my daughter is the true descendant of Hylia."

He leaned forward, and when he spoke it was with more earnest interest than anything else he said that day. "One thing that most laypeople do not know about the Royal Line is that only the True Descendant—namely, the firstborn daughter who will always be named Zelda—possesses the power of the Goddess Hylia. Thus far in Zelda the goddess's power has manifested in her dreams, but she shows other promise as well. Her dreams, though, are often prophetic. The content of these dreams is very, very important to me. We have avoided many a major crisis, even wars, thanks to her premonitions. I will need you to be there when she wakes from these dreams to record its details in whatever way you see fit. Every detail, as small or obscure as they are, recorded precisely. You will then immediately present these dreams to me. Is that understood?"

"Yes, your Majesty," Impa said, even as she frowned to herself. Why didn't the king just ask Zelda himself? Why did he seem so intent on not talking to her?

King Daphnes sat back in his chair and drummed his fingers together. "Now, finally, as to the matter of your military training. You will continue to train with the masters of military arts. Your skill should not rust while in Zelda's service, for one day she will need every ounce of your power. The generals are working on a training schedule for you, and we will do our best to have it coincide with Zelda's schooling. The Masters have agreed to work their lessons around your schedule."

"Thank you, your Majesty."

King Daphnes nodded. He looked back down at his papers and picked up his quill. "Well, that is all I have for you today. If you have no questions, I am a busy man and have many more of these infernal papers to go through before I may join you all for supper."

Impa stood and bowed. "Thank you for your time, your Grace."

The King nodded his head in acknowledgement. As Impa turned to leave, however, he said, "Remember, Impa, I need to know what she dreams about. Every detail."

"Of course, your Majesty." Impa bowed again. She left as quietly and quickly as she could. For a moment she stood there and contemplated the sheer strangeness of the meeting. Soon, however, she filed it away and looked around for the princess. Zelda was nowhere to be seen. Impa frowned a little, but then remembered that this was their last night apart. Perhaps the princess has just gone to enjoy her last remaining freedom. Impa turned toward the direction of the barracks to gather her things, talk to Link, and enjoy her last night as a trainee with a simple life. In the morning, her life would be very different. She would be having breakfast with the king.

~! #$%^&amp;*()

Zelda _was_ enjoying her last night without Impa—enjoying it by sitting in Ruto's room on a comfortable arm chair and fuming about the infuriating sheikah. "So I pour out my heart to her, which is not characteristic of me at all," she was saying, "and how does she respond? 'I am always pleased to serve'. _What is that_? What kind of response is that, Ruto?"

The zora princess shrugged. She was sitting on the bed painting her toenails, her fins fluttering behind her lazily. "Maybe she's nervous," she said. In actuality, she knew exactly what was wrong with the hylian princess's new body guard. Impa had made her vow not to say anything, though, so she did her best to dance around the topic.

"Nervous?" Zelda said, furrowing her brow. Her cheeks were pink with frustration. "The first four days we were together she was not nervous at all. It was as if we had known each other forever—and now that she is actually in my service and we have to spend every waking moment together for the rest of our lives, NOW she's nervous? That makes no sense, Ruto."

"I think that some…ah…certain revelations may have come to light for her. In lieu of this huge, life-changing appointment," Ruto bit her lip. She didn't know how to assuage Zelda's worry without exposing the truth. She silently cursed the stupid sheikah for complicating her already complicated task.

Zelda raised an eyebrow. "Certain revelations huh? Overnight? That makes no sense. Unless this has something to do with that heated conversation I know you two had in the hallway before lunch. You know what is wrong, do you not?"

Ruto heaved a huge sigh. "Maybe I do and maybe I don't. Maybe I swore not to say anything and I do have SOME shred of honor you know."

"This has to do with that book," Zelda said. "I just know it does. What is she trying to hide from me?"

Ruto threw up her hands. "I CAN'T TELL YOU! I promised her! Zora's honor and all that." She then got off the bed, careful not to mess up her nail polish, and hobbled over to her desk area. She opened the top drawer and pulled out a book—THE book. Closing the drawer again, she hobbled over to where Zelda sat and held it out.

"What—but did you not just say that you promised Impa?" Zelda took the book from Ruto even as she brought up the promise. Now that it was forbidden, she wanted to read it all the more.

Ruto hobbled back of to her bed and sat down, checking to see if her nails were dry yet. She didn't look up at the hylian princess as she spoke. "My exact words were 'I promise that I will not SAY anything'. I never promised that I wouldn't give you the book back. That's her mistake for giving it to me. And for grabbing my arm in a rough manner."

Zelda brushed her hand over the simple cover, curiosity eating at her. "What is in this simple book that she fears me knowing so very badly?" she mused out loud.

"I can't tell you," Ruto said. "But you can figure it out for yourself if you read it. You'll have to read it in secret though. She'll take it away if she sees it again, and this time I fear I will not able to retrieve it. There aren't many copies of that in this world."

Zelda looked from the book to the zora princess. "Ruto…thank you," she said. "I think that I have underestimated you, and for that please forgive me."

Ruto blew on her nails and wiggled her toes, smiling. "Yeah yeah, forgiveness given. Don't get all mushy on me, save that stuff for Impa. She'll be more amusing to watch squirm in discomfort."

Zelda stood, clutching the book to her chest. "I had better return to my own room and find a suitable hiding place for this. Thank you again, Ruto."

"You're welcome. Good night."

Zelda bustled down to her room, glancing right and left to make sure Impa wasn't around yet. Finally, she hid the book in her nightstand and locked the drawer with a small key. She lay down to sleep, but found that her mind would not be quiet. She wanted to know what the forbidden book was about, and she wanted to know now. So she finally lit a candle, unlocked the drawer, and pulled the book back out. If this was her one last night of individuality, then she had best get as much reading done as possible.

!

Impa moved her things into the nook the following morning. What the king called 'a closet' was the size of a good sized living room, albeit with one of the walls missing. Once her things were put away in her new living space, Impa's true duty began: guarding Zelda. The princess was unusually tired that morning. She had small bags under her eyes that she covered with makeup, and she yawned all through their breakfast with the king. Ruto was suspiciously chipper, and seemed to be drawing attention away from Zelda's exhaustion.

After breakfast, they went to the training yard for Ruto's sake, went to classes, had a small lunch in the library, and more classes. This was followed up with some free time, which Zelda took in her room. She instructed Impa to go see the generals about her training schedule in the meantime. Impa did so, and met Zelda again—schedule in hand—for dinner with the king. After dinner, it was almost straight to bed for the sleepy hylian princess.

As Zelda blew the candles out, Impa crossed to her own bed. It was small, but bigger than her trainee bed, and it looked comfortable. She lay down and tried to go to sleep, but it would not come. She felt restless and thoughts of King Daphnes's behavior, the Deku Tree's leaves, and the secret meetings buzzed about in her mind. After a while, she got up and circled the room a couple times. Something was coming. She could feel it, but she did not have enough information to identify it. How could she protect Zelda from something that may just be a figment of her imagination? A hunch and a few odd signs, nothing more.

Impa made note of how Zelda's room was decorated and arranged, in case she should ever find something missing or moved. Perceptiveness and knowledge were the first line of defense against the unknown. Once she felt familiar, she stood by the door for a while. Then over by the empty fireplace. Finally, she stood by the open window and followed the rays of moonlight streaming inside with her eyes. It fell upon Zelda's sleeping form, and the sheikah watched the rise and fall of the princess's chest. She stood there for what felt like a long time, her Great Sword strapped on, just watching Zelda sleep.

_How am I going to protect her?_ She wondered to herself, _when the one thing she really needs protection from now is me?_ Ruto's words reverberated in her head as if echoing infinitely in a large temple hall. _"One day she'll wonder why it feels so good to touch you…"_ The only solution Impa could think of as she stood there in the dark and the quiet, watching the princess sleep, was to not allow physical contact or behavior that would encourage it, as she had been attempting to do. Perhaps, in time, the princess would forget what it felt like and there would not be a comparison to make. Perhaps, in time, Impa herself would forget. Forget the warmth of the princess's body in her arms, the sweetness of her blushes, or the fragrance of her hair. Forget the way light danced in her eyes and her laughter sounded like a private music, meant only for her. Forget the way her fingers felt intertwined with Impa's. All of these things would fade with careful discipline and distance. The line of Hylia would go on.

By the time that Impa lay down to catch some sleep herself, she had made up her mind, though her heart felt worried and grim. There would be no more touching and no more intimate words between them, not so long as this childish infatuation existed. They would be a princess and her guardian, a guiding and protecting figure, not a friend, and goddesses forbid, never a lover.

Their second day together, Impa woke to find the princess already sitting at her vanity getting ready for the day. The sheikah took a quick shower and readied herself in the bathroom with the door closed. When they were both prepared, they went down to breakfast. Zelda was more awake that day, but she wasn't talking overmuch to Impa. Perhaps, the sheikah mused, she was still miffed about the library. Or perhaps she had noticed Impa's emotional and physical distance and was okay with it. The sheikah had no idea. Who knew that it would be so difficult to read the Princess of Hyrule?

The second day went exactly as first had, except that when Zelda went to her classes, Impa went to meet with one of a few masters of various arts of war to continue her training. They met for lunch, where Zelda shared what they had gone over that day, but still didn't talk much. When they were done with lunch, they returned to their respective activities. At free time, Impa found Zelda in her room rather than at the library. When she walked in the door, the Princess was locking something inside her bedside table.

"How was your day, your Highness?" Impa asked, taking a seat on the edge of the princess's bed.

Zelda seemed to grind her teeth a little at the official term of address, but chose to ignore it. "Tedious," she responded. "Today was mostly review in preparation for our next test."

Impa nodded. "Review is never fun, but always beneficial." Zelda nodded, but didn't say anything. Impa tapped her fingers on her knees. "Would you like to go to the library? Or perhaps take a walk in the gardens?" She eventually asked.

"No thank you," Zelda said. "I think that I wish to rest before dinner. If you could wait just outside the door, I will come out soon."

Impa frowned but nodded. "As you wish," she said. She bowed before taking her leave.

Soon, their days began to fall into this pattern. On the fourth day, the princess started talking a little more. When she tried to get too personal, however, Impa stuck to appropriate responses as she had the previous days. She could tell that it was starting to bother Zelda. Ruto even shot her an annoyed glance when, on the their fifth day together, Zelda tried to touch Impa on the arm to show her something and the sheikah stepped back, as if stung by a bee.

On the sixth day, Zelda stopped trying to make a connection at all. She went into her room, asking to be alone with all of her free time, and didn't say three words in a row to Impa all day. Secretly, it killed Impa to see her like this. But every time the princess touched her or looked at her with that secret smile or spoke with her in a too-familiar manner, the sheikah felt that foreboding, familiar tug on her heart. Something coursed between them whenever they touched, as if they were sharing a jolt of electricity. Nothing terrified Impa more than the pleasure of that touch—for both of them. Ruto's words rung in her mind again and again, coloring every word she spoke to the princess and every action she took. She kept her distance, and Zelda kept her silence.

By the eighth day, the king brought Impa into his presence to ask her what was wrong. He had noticed that Zelda was sullen, and he seemed concerned. He did ask if, perhaps, the princess had had another dream that Impa had not told him about yet. Impa assured him that there had been no dreams yet and made up a story about the princess reading a particularly sad book that was affecting her. It was shaky at best, but the king accepted the answer all the same and dismissed her with instructions to cheer Zelda up. Get her to read something happier.

Weeks passed in this manner. Every day, they woke together, got ready together, ate breakfast together. They went to their separate training activities, came together for lunch, separate training in the afternoon, and finally Zelda would take her free time alone in her room while Impa stood outside. Lastly, they would have dinner together and go to bed. Their days were a gray and monotonous blur. They only exchanged terse and polite conversation. Every day Zelda seemed to recede more and more into herself, and the true heartbreaking part of it, Impa thought, was that the servants and castle attendants seemed to regard her morose behavior as normal. They went about their routines, and the quiet, lonely princess went about her studies like a proper royal girl. Ruto pulled Impa aside once to lecture her, citing the fact that Zelda wasn't responding to the zora girl's encouragement anymore and why was she even here if the sheikah was going to ruin all of her hard work getting Zelda out of her depression. Still, Impa would not change her mind. If this was the only way to make sure that their relationship was professional, and both Zelda and the line of succession would be safe, then this is how it would have to be. The princess would improve. It would only take a little more time….

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

**Author's Notes:** So, I promise it won't all be this painful. I just _can't_ write fluff…it's physically impossible…I have to have plot and conflict and character. Seriously, if you map out my stories they would look like the sawtooth mountains. But, in general, I do enjoy happy endings. So hang in there.

Oh, and I'm not sure if you love Ruto as much as I do yet, but I have never appreciated her more than when she decided to insert herself into my story. She's like a combination of my favorite aunt and my best friend, with a little of her own weirdness thrown in to make it interesting.

Thank you for reading and please review!

~The Wolfess

****If you enjoy my writing, please check out my major work, the Doppelganger Trilogy. You can find books 1 and 2 completed on my profile.****


	6. Chapter 6

*****ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY****

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**In Sotto Voce**

_By The Wolfess_

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**Chapter 6**

As Impa and Zelda danced around one another, strangers in the same room, the world outside was increasingly gray. It rained more often than not, and the sun refused to shine. There were reports running through the soldier's barracks of movement in the Eldin Volcanic Fields where the Stalfos and Darknuts made their home. Others reported upheaval in the Bulblins out in the distant reaches of the Gerudo Desert. As long as these races stayed in their respective lands and didn't harm anyone, military policy dictated that they be watched and left alone. If they were moving, as the rumors were indicating, then surely the Crown would send the army to beat them back.

Unfortunately, the Crown didn't seem to do anything. King Daphnes shut himself up in the Great Hall day after day. Some days he missed dinner because he was meeting with someone. Most days he was alone, presumably drawing up plans and reading proposals. Every now and then he called for Impa to ask after Zelda's dreams. He never called for Zelda herself. Impa watched all of these things and worried. More than anything, however, she worried about Zelda.

Impa knew something was really wrong the night that the princess didn't say goodnight when she lay down to sleep. _It would only take time_, she had told herself, but for some reason time did not seem to be helping the princess. Between the troubles in the kingdom, her father's continued silence, and Impa's emotional and physical distance, Zelda was more isolated and troubled now than ever. Every day they were more rumors and signs. Every day Ruto tried to cheer up the hylian princess by encouraging her that the signs were nothing, and that she should invite some of the lords to spend time with her, or noble ladies to lunch with her. None of it affected the princess. Zelda just listened and watched and studied and went through the motions of the life she was supposed to live.

The night Zelda didn't say goodnight, as the sheikah went to her own bed she thought that she could hear quiet sobbing from within the bigger room. Her heart ached. She thought back on her course of action and its effects on Zelda. Could maintaining appropriate distance hurt her princess more than just crossing all of those boundaries and breaking down those walls? If breaking down the walls that she had carefully constructed would result in the princess doing something about those electric shocks, though, Impa knew that she would give in to Zelda's desire, and then they would both be in the biggest trouble of their lives. Gritting her teeth and steeling her heart against the sound of Zelda's muffled sobs, Impa closed her eyes and forced herself to sleep.

She woke in the middle of the night to hear Zelda screaming.

Impa sprang from her bed, Great Sword in hand instantly, and looked about the room. She quickly saw that nothing was out of place and no one was around. The princess was trashing about in her bed, the quilts all tangled around her legs, and she was screaming and crying. The sheikah put her sword down and went over to Zelda, getting onto the bed without a second thought.

"Hey," she whispered, taking a hold of Zelda's hands and rubbing the backs of them with her thumbs. "Hey, Zelda, it's okay. You're safe. Shh…" The princess's body stopped thrashing and her eyes fluttered open. She seemed to be looking without seeing, as if visions from her sleep were still swimming before her eyes.

"A beast in the forest," she said, tears still streaming from her eyes as she looked past Impa at something only she could see. "The servant raises his master's horde. The shade wears a royal skin. A song from the shadows is silenced. The beast in the forest is unchained…" Her eyes closed and her body went completely limp.

"Oh Goddesses, Zelda, hey…" Impa patted the girl's cheeks, but the princess wasn't responding. She pulled Zelda into her arms and leaned her cheek down over the princess's mouth. She could feel breath coming out, steady and strong, although the girl wasn't responding to any outside stimuli. Sighing, Impa eased the princess back down onto her own pillows and began to get out of the bed in order to write down the prophecy that she had just spoken. That is what the king had instructed her to do when this happened, and now that Zelda was calming down she might as well take care of it right away. However, the moment that her hand left Zelda's skin the princess started whimpering again, as if something in her dreams was hurting her and Impa's touch was the only thing that could protect her from it.

Impa hesitated only for a moment, Ruto's warning resounding in her mind again. But Zelda was beginning to thrash again, as if fighting invisible foes, and her bodyguard gritted her teeth got back into the bed. The moment her hand touched Zelda's shoulder, the princess began to quiet. The sheikah committed the prophecy to memory, word for word, in order to write it down in the morning. For now, she settled in next to Zelda and drew the girl into her arms. The shaking in Zelda's body seemed to ease, and her tears slowed to a stop. In her sleep, she cuddled closer to Impa's warmth and twined her fingers through those of her bodyguard. She pulled Impa's hand into her chest and promptly began snoring softly and peacefully.

The sheikah's heart was beating so loudly in her ears it was like the roar of a waterfall. Every carefully constructed parameter and wall that she had been developing these weeks shattered that night. As Zelda lay spooned and tucked into her chest, Impa knew that her resistance was over. She could not sit by while Zelda was pain and do nothing when her arms could bring the princess peace. Resigning herself, kicking herself, Impa scooted a little closer to Zelda and fell asleep.

"Impa?" The sheikah's eyes slid open, and the first thing she saw was Zelda's sleepy blue eyes looking back at her. Startled, Impa jumped and moved to sit up, realizing that she was still spooning with the Princess of Hyrule, but Zelda's hand was firm and commanding as it pulled her back down. "It is okay," Zelda whispered, smiling. "I do not mind."

Impa blushed and looked away, her facial expression slightly angry. "I shouldn't…I'm sorry, Princess. You were screaming and looked so scared, but when I touched you it seemed to…ah, I'm sorry. I should go."

Zelda shook her head. "No, you should stay," she said.

"Why?" Impa replied, her voice almost a whisper.

"Because no one has been able to calm me while I was having a prophetic dream before," Zelda replied. She looked down at Impa's hand and rubbed her thumb over the sheikah's fingers. "They have tried. Kishla even tried to cradle me, like a mother would, but nothing worked. The dreams just had to play out, and I would scream all night and wake up exhausted. But last night, amidst the darkness of what I saw…" she shivered a little as she remembered her dream. "Within the darkness, I could feel you."

Impa's eyes widened a little. "You could…what?"

Zelda smiled, shyly, and lowered her eyes. "I could feel when you touched me, and as I walked through the dark forest I felt as if I was not alone. That has never happened before. I have always been alone."

The last wall in Impa's heart melted like a block of ice dropped in boiling water. She sighed and pulled Zelda close again, running her fingers through the princess's tangled golden hair. "You're not alone," she whispered. "I'll always be here, and you'll never be alone again."

For a moment, they stayed in each other's arms like that and didn't speak. It was as if spoken words would somehow shatter the moment, and they would suddenly realize how inappropriate it was for the princess and her bodyguard to be cuddling in bed together. Finally, however, Impa was the first one to move. She disentangled herself from Zelda's arms and moved to sit on the edge of the bed. Tall as she was, her feet still dangled over the side. She hung her head and stared at the floor, the reality of the situation finally dawning on her. Things would be different now. A part of her was very happy about that, but the other part remembered Ruto's words of warning. _When she asks herself…._

She felt Zelda come sit beside her. Her hands were folded in her lap and her hair was draped over one shoulder. Her nightgown was smoothed over her knees, her bare legs dangling off the side of the large bed. "I know it is not proper," the princess murmured. "I do not understand, I just…" she sighed and let her thought hang in the air unspoken.

Impa reached over and took Zelda's hand in her own. She waited until the princess's eyes met hers. "I know," she said. "Me too."

They were quiet for a while more, their clasped hands sitting on the bed between them. "Perhaps if we keep our distance in public, then we could…" Zelda held their hands up between them to indicate what she meant without having to say it out loud.

Impa nodded. "If it would please you," she said. "Then yes. Anything you desire." There it was. She had said it, and there was no taking it back. Whatever the princess wanted, her servant would do. Even if it ended up in the detriment of the royal line, or her own heart.

They got up and got ready for the day as if it was just a normal day. At breakfast, the king commented on how lovely Zelda's smile was that day, and Ruto shot Impa a secret, questioning look. Zelda was chipper again, and talkative over breakfast. Although she and Impa spoke and acted with all the same formality, every now and then the zora princess caught a look that went between them, or saw one of them almost touch the other's hand under the table before thinking better of it.

Zelda and Impa left breakfast together, as normal, but when Ruto left them to grab something in her room, the princess reached over and took Impa's hand in her own. She looked up at her bodyguard with an unspoken question in her eyes, and Impa just smiled and squeezed her hand a little. Zelda blushed in response.

"Well, here you are," Impa said, standing outside the classroom alone with Zelda. "Have a good day in class, Zelda."

Zelda grinned. She looked around and then hugged Impa really quick and let go. "Thank you," she said. "I will. And Impa?"

"Yes, my Lady?" Impa said, taking a deep calming breath.

"I like this a lot better," the princess said.

There was a sadness to Impa's smile when she replied. "As do I, Zelda," she said. Zelda wasn't sure if it sounded like Impa thought that it was a good thing or not.

Once the princess was safely in class, Impa went to the king instead of to her training. It was only a few moments before he let her inside. "You had something to tell me, Captain Impa?" King Daphnes said once he saw her.

Impa bowed. "Yes, your Highness. I will be quick. Princess Zelda had a prophetic dream last night." She relayed the things that the princess had said.

The King frowned. "She has had this same dream ten times now," he looked deeply troubled. "Each time there is something new. 'The shade wears a royal skin' is a new detail, along with the beast being unchained. This does not bode well. I have had my scouts looking over Hyrule's forests and they have not found anything. And we still have not gotten the location of where the servant is raising his horde." He sighed and rubbed his temples. "Thank you, Impa. Keep me apprised of any further developments."

Impa bowed again. "Yes, your Majesty." She took his words for the dismissal that they were, and strode out of the room quickly. Instead of going to the Master's training room, like she was supposed to, Impa found herself wandering back to toward Zelda's classroom. After the scare of last night, the sheikah didn't feel confident being away from her charge. She just wanted to get one last glimpse, to make sure she was safe before going her own way.

As she approached the hall, Impa found herself being cornered by none other than Princess Ruto. "Hey, you just wait a minute sheikah," came the watery princess's voice. Impa froze and turned, finding Ruto hiding behind a statue.

"What are you doing there?" Impa asked, furrowing her brow.

"Not going to class," Ruto said. "Or waiting for you. Whichever you want to think. I had this feeling you'd be coming back this way."

Impa walked over to the alcove where Ruto hid behind a statue. The zora princess motioned for her to come in, so Impa glanced around and slid into the alcove as well. "Great," Ruto said. "Now, tell me what happened?"

Impa's eyes widened. "Nothing," she said quickly. "Nothing happened at all. Why do you ask?"

Ruto rolled her eyes. "I heard Zelda's screaming. I always hear it. I'm right down the hall. But it stopped really suddenly, sooner than normal. And then you two are all 'best friends' again. I know too much already, and I can see when something happened between you two, so just tell me and maybe we can help each other."

Impa sighed. "Fine. The princess and I have come to an understanding. That's all you need to know," Impa started getting out of the alcove.

"Really? That's all I get? Geez," Ruto crossed her arms over her chest and started pouting. "No recognition from you, you know that?"

Impa ignored her. At the end of the day she was just a troublemaker and a gossip monger, and she already knew too much. To be truthful, Impa found the Zora princess to be rather suspicious. She always seemed to know what was going on, whether you told her or not, and she had a lot of secrets.

Impa slid out of the alcove and continued down the hall. When she reached Zelda's classroom, she peaked around the corner to look inside. The princess sat at a desk in the middle of the room, her blond hair falling over one shoulder as she chewed on the end of a pencil. It must be test day, Impa realized. But she did look very beautiful as the sunlight drifted from the open windows and set her golden hair to sparkling, with her face scrunched up in concentration. Impa leaned against the door jam, content to just watch for a moment.

As she watched, Impa thought back on the night's events and the king's comments. She wasn't stupid. She could piece together the puzzle as well as anyone else. Something or someone was amassing an army—a horde if the vision was true—and its master, "the beast", has been unleashed. The king's meetings must have to do with tracking down this beast, but he was apparently unsuccessful. Then there was the matter of the shade in royal skin—but there were so many royals in Hyrule. Which one could be an imposter, and how to tell? Not only that, but how long before the master found the servant? How long before they came knocking on the doors of Hyrule Castle, and Zelda's life was threatened? The king's men had not been able to find the master in the forest. If he _was_ unleashed now, then there was no purpose in continued search there. It would not stay put for long.

What was it, exactly, that Zelda had said? The servant raises his master's horde and the shade wears a royal skin. But what could it mean? Where in Hyrule could a horde hide without being seen? Impa shook her head. There just wasn't enough information yet. Meanwhile, the enemy was out there somewhere amassing his horde and reuniting with his master. And there was nothing Impa could do but wait and prepare. Or was there? Any good protector for the Princess of Hyrule must have eyes where hers cannot be. Impa had to create a network of eyes throughout Hyrule—and she would start today, right here in the castle, with Zelda's old protector and a certain blond-haired recruit.

Impa found Elder Kishla in the garden, in the middle of the red roses, meditating. She had lived in the castle guarding the Royal Family for most of her life, so the king granted her a permanent room in which to live out the rest of her life. Upon recruiting Impa to the position, the first thing that Elder Kishla had done was return to the Sheikah Tribe and spend some time there with her own family and spiritual leaders, preparing herself for this next change in her life mentally and spiritually. She had just returned a couple days ago, so Impa had heard.

Impa stood on the edge of the circle where Kishla was meditating, silent as a shadow as she waited on the elder's convenience. It wasn't long before Elder Kishla turned around, her long white hair free and draped over her shoulders, her dark-hued red eyes still sharp in her old age. She wore a simple salmon-colored gown and a teal head covering, very different attire from the sudo-armor she had worn in the Princess's service.

"Greetings, my child," Elder Kishla said.

Impa bowed. "Greetings, Elder."

Kishla patted the ground next to her. "Come, sit, meditate with me. We will talk when the time for talking comes." She closed her eyed and returned to her meditating state. Impa sighed, feeling too twitchy and anxious for meditation. The young sheikah had never been very good with practicing sheikah spiritual arts, and she didn't think that was going to change. Nonetheless, she sat beside Kishla and did her best to try.

Impa managed to go a half hour before she couldn't take it anymore. "Okay, please Elder Kishla, time is of the essence. Has the 'time for talking' come yet?"

The two sheikah were sitting on their knees across from each other, a kneeling position common for sheikah meditation. Kishla opened her eyes and smiled. "Apparently it has come whether the spirits were ready or not. Impa, you must breed more patience in your soul. This constant urgency in which you live will only take you so far."

Impa inclined her head. "Forgive me, Elder. I will try."

Kishla eased herself into a more normal sitting position. "Oh, these old bones have more trouble getting into a meditation state than they used to. The constant pain is ever a trial for my soul. But, one must do these things for the sake of the spirits." Settling herself, she turned an appraising eye on Impa. "So, I assume you have come to discuss the princess."

Impa nodded. "Yes, Elder. I would like to discuss your previous methods of observation throughout the kingdom and the castle."

Kishla laughed. "How succinctly put, young sheikah. And I will instruct you, yes, but first my Eye tells me that there is something troubling you that you did not want to discuss with me." She squinted her eyes, as if trying to look _inside_ Impa. The sheikah squirmed in discomfort. She had not mastered the art of seeing truth with the naked eye, as the more spiritually learned sheikah had. It was difficult to keep secrets around those who were masters, such as Elder Kishla.

"Oh ho ho, how unexpected," Elder Kishla laughed, as if she had discovered something delightful. "And yet, I should have foreseen. Each Impa is born at the appropriate time to serve her Zelda in the manner that the goddesses deem appropriate, and each incarnation is different. Some Zelda's need a mother or grandmother, some need a sister or friend, and others…well, rarely in the Cycles do other Zeldas find that they need a lover. As the next incarnation of the Spirit of the Guardian, you were born surprisingly close in age and complementary in temperament this time around. The Council of Elders thought perhaps sisters this time, but we should have foreseen that this Cycle was different. You are a lucky Impa indeed."

Impa blinked, her brow furrowing in confusion. "Uh, I have no idea what you mean. I am simply her guardian. And if you all knew all this time that I was the next incarnation of the Guardian in the cycle, twenty and one years, then why was I never told?"

"So you are not ready to admit your relationship yet?" Kishla nodded sagely. "That is fine, perfectly fine. I will not press you. These things can be delicate when dealing with hylians and their strict cultural regulations. The Goddesses will straighten it out in time, don't you worry. As for your destiny as the Spirit of the Guardian, why, we didn't tell you because you weren't ready. Upon my recent visit home, the Council of Elders has decided that now you ARE ready, and so I have told you."

Impa suppressed the urge to groan. She had almost forgotten how frustrating dealing with Elders could be. They knew everything and talked in circles so you won't know how much they know. It was already giving her a headache. "Can…can we just move on from this…uncomfortable topic? That is not why I came here today, and frankly I don't feel comfortable at all with the Elders knowing more about my soul and my love life than I do."

Kishla sighed. "Yes, we can move on child. But one word of caution before we do: you are young yet and still prone to rash emotions and quick decisions. You are bold and forceful. You MUST learn to temper that fire and water within you, and practice your Spiritual Arts. If you do not bring the three parts of your soul—Mind, Body, _and_ Spirit—into holy balance, and soon, then I fear you will come to great harm should she not intervene."

Impa groaned out loud this time. "Fine, I will meditate more to strengthen my Spiritual Third if that will make you happy. And I'm not even going to ask who this '_she_ _intervening_' is because I know you won't tell me. Are you satisfied?"

"No, but that will do. I have said my peace, and now you may say yours."

"THANK you," Impa said. "So…informants, secret passages, all of your secrets. You know of Zelda's prophecy. King Daphnes said that this was the tenth time. I need the network to keep eyes out for this darkness that is coming, and I cannot do that when my eyes are constantly on Zelda herself."

Kishla nodded. "A wise realization. I wondered how long it would take you to seek me out on this matter. You are very self-confident and I thought it would be longer. I am surprised." She moved to stand and held out a hand for Impa to help her. Impa stood and helped the Elder to her feet. "Now," Kishla said, "I will show you the hidden passageways as we talk about the informants. They already know that you will contact them, but when and how is another matter. A little known fact, some of these families have been informing for many generations, and their names pass down from protector to protector. Others are in very dangerous situations, and dealing with them can be difficult."

They spent the rest of the morning in this manner. By the time that Impa was to meet Zelda for lunch, her head felt like it was going to burst with all of the new information. They determined that she would meet with Kishla once a week until she had the information and passageways down, as well as to (begrudgingly on Impa's part) work on "strengthening her Spiritual Third". Until that time, she was to begin to contact some of her new informers and collect the information that they have been saving up.

After their quiet lunch, Impa dropped Zelda off at class and made a bee line for the training grounds. After all, she still had one more person to talk to: Link. She found him in the practice square training with his sword and shield. His tunic was slightly damp with sweat, and he looked like he was working on some pretty advanced maneuvers. He was coming a long way, she realized, and it was happening fast.

"Hey," Impa said, drawing her Great Sword and stepping out into the square. "Need a sparring partner?"

Link blinked and turned to where the voice was coming from. "Impa!" He exclaimed once his eyes landed on her. He came over and took her hand, giving it a good, hard shake. "Hey, what are you doing here?" He asked.

Impa grinned. "On princess business. What else?"

Link laughed. "I suppose so. Hey, one round for old times' sake?" He stepped back and stood in a ready position, flipping his sword in a cocky circle a couple times.

Impa stepped out to face him, getting into her own ready stance. "It would be my pleasure," she said.

They got right to it, and it wasn't long before the clash of sword on sword, or Great Sword on shield, was heard ringing through the courtyard again. Impa pressed the attack for a while, and then dropped back to defend. Link kept her on her toes more than he used to, and she found herself wishing that she was training with him every day instead of the Grand Masters. As their bout continued, other trainees soon trickled out of the woodworks to watch. More and more came, even some captains and nobles who happened to be passing by.

As they got near the end of their session, Link crouched down really low and drew his sword hand back as far as it would go. It glowed a little, a little swirl of light coming out of his hand. She came at him, and he released just when she thought he would. He usually ended their fights on a great spin. This time, however, was different than the other times for one simple reason: when he released his spin, a trail of light shot down the length of his blade from his hand, dissipating into the air when Impa guarded with her Great Sword.

Impa was panting a little and grinning from ear to ear. "Light magic?" she said, nodded her head a little. "I should have realized that would be it. You have a similar shine as the princess to your personality. When did you find out?"

Link sheathed his weapons. He was grinning from ear to ear with pride. "A week ago," he said. "Captain Raltz wants to test me to move me into the ranks. He thinks you and I were pretty well matched, so it would make sense. Although, I don't know as MUCH magic as you so I don't think my personal showcase will be quite so special."

"Don't put yourself down," Impa said as she walked over and clapped Link on the shoulder. "We may be well-matched, but you have advanced far faster than I did. You have a natural gift. I am eager to see them put to real use someday."

Link blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Aw, Impa, I don't know about that. But thank you, just the same."

The crowd started to disburse, and Impa followed Link back to the men's barracks. "Actually," she started, "your skills are what I'm here to talk to you about. I'm relieved to hear they are testing you soon. You'll have more freedom then...and I have need of that freedom."

Link looked puzzled. "Well, whatever way I can help the princess," he said. "One second, let me change into something not quite so stinky." Impa waited outside the door for him to finish. He came out dressed in a simple green tunic over chainmail with cream-colored under garments. He wore the same bracers and boots that he wore with his trainee uniform. "So," he said as they started walking. "What can I help Princess Zelda with?"

"Actually," Impa started, "you'll be helping Zelda by helping me."

"How's that?" Link asked. They were turning a corner in the Knight Academy's campus, just walking the once-normal guard rounds that they had shared so many a night.

"Let me put it this way. What do you think I do all day Link?"

Link shrugged. "Watch the princess I guess."

Impa nodded. "Pretty much. And don't get me wrong, I love it so far. There's no one else I'd rather watch," her voice grew soft then, her face contemplative. "Still, as my eyes are on the princess and my sword and my body is at her side, protecting her, I cannot go out and protect her _out there, _from the things that are unseen and moving in the shadow." Link looked confused. Impa tried to explain it a different way. "There is a prophecy, Link. A great darkness is coming, and it's coming for Zelda. The servant has gathered a horde that we cannot find, and the master has been unchained. They will come here if we let them. They will come knocking on her door. I have hunches as to where to look, but I cannot go explore them. That's where you come in, if you're willing."

Link nodded. "Anything I can do," he said. "Just give me a command."

Impa smiled. "I knew I could count on you," she said. "Look, I'll push to get your test moved up if I can. As soon as you're a soldier and free to leave campus whenever you want, I have some places I want you to go. You'll to have to be stealthy. If you do find them, they can't know you've seen or they will kill you. They want to catch us by surprise."

"Great," Link said. "I'm ready for anything, just send it my way."

Impa inclined her head. "I knew I could count on you. I have eyes and ears all over Hyrule now, but no one to be my legs and hands. When it comes to that, I couldn't trust anyone but you."

Link stopped and bowed a little. "I'm honored," he said. "You're the most powerful and skilled warrior that I've ever met, Impa. I can see why those who don't know any better might put us on the same level, but the truth is that I'm nowhere close yet. So I'm flattered and honored that you would put your faith in me."

Impa shook her head. "Oh, stop bowing," she said, laughing a little. "I'm still just a trainee, like you. At heart at least. I miss these guard walks and sparring times of ours. You have pushed me farther in my own training than anyone, which is not something I admit lightly, and I consider us partners."

Link stopped walking. He grinned and made a proper salute. "I'll await your orders, Captain Impa," he said.

Impa rolled her eyes, but she saluted him back. "At ease. I guess I should let you go. Keep practicing, and I'll see what I can do about moving that test up." Link nodded.

"Hey," he said as she started to walk away. Impa turned around to hear him. "Thanks for stopping by. It was great to see you."

Impa nodded in return. "Likewise."

While Impa was off making connections and laying plans, Zelda was finishing her school work early. It would be hours yet before Impa would return to join her for free time, and the princess had a certain book that she wanted those hours to be devoted to. Hurrying up to her room, Zelda closed the door behind her and checked in all of Kishla's old hiding spots to make sure the sheikah wasn't secretly hidden somewhere. Finding no one, she fished around in her pouch and found the small key. She unlocked the drawer and took the book out, then left the drawer open and the key on top of the nightstand in case she had to put it away quickly.

The princess had sent a servant ahead to prepare a fire for her, as it was a chilly day for late spring. They were saying that a late snow might even come, which didn't bode well for the spring harvest. Zelda wondered if it was another sign, however subtle, of the coming darkness. There was no way to tell. All she could do was wait, sneak a few chapters of this book whenever possible, and hopefully enjoy the presence of her new bodyguard.

Zelda wondered about Impa's change of heart this morning. It was still so new that she wasn't convinced that it would last, and the sheikah had seemed preoccupied during their lunch together. She talked of meeting with Kishla and learning all of the older woman's secrets, so the princess assumed that she was just occupied with the new information. After all, it was a big lifestyle change for Impa and it was natural that the sheikah was experiencing some transition pains.

At least, the princess hoped it was just the transition into the new role that had kept her so distant. Their first two weeks together had been...painful, to say the least. Every conversation was strained, _sanitized_ even, when they had been so casual and natural when they met. Impa didn't let her touch her anymore, not even in those small ways that she had at first. The princess's skin had tingled every time they touched, and something about just looking at Impa too long made her breath come short. She had thought that the sheikah felt the same way, but Impa jerked away. To top it off, Kishla seemed to be just _gone_. They went from spending every day together to nothing at all, and just when Zelda could have used her council and comfort most of all. Sure, the older Sheikah had been more busy than usual of late, and she _had_ retired, but the princess had thought that her old bodyguard would at least visit her every now and then. This was proving to be a false assumption, and it stung.

Zelda had began to wonder if she had made the right decision, or if she should have spent more time getting to know Impa before they committed. As she thought about Impa's distance, adding Kishla's disappearance to it, Zelda had found herself growing worried. With these thoughts running through her head, the princess wondered if there was something about her that repulsed people. Perhaps she had no friends because she was unlikable. Perhaps there was something wrong with her. Suddenly her mother-like old bodyguard wanted nothing to do with her and the sheikah who replaced Kishla was an unyielding statue where before she had been a warm-blooded human being, and the princess felt alone again. For the first few days of this solitude, Zelda had thought that she could go back to being alone and be fine. She had been living in solitude while being surrounded by people for many years, not counting Kishla. The only problem was that she _hadn't _been completely alone, and she could remember what it felt like when Impa's lips brushed the skin on the back of her hand. Zelda tried to ignore the memories, but when she fell asleep her dreams were full of her. Upon waking, though, Impa's emotional distance would still be there. She was only an arm's length away, yes, and belonged to Zelda, yes, but she was never hers to touch. It had started to feel like a kind of torture.

But this morning was different. The princess had woken in Impa's arms. She laid there for a while just watching the sheikah sleep, not daring to move too much or breathe too hard. Finally, though, she couldn't help herself. She touched Impa's hair and whispered her name, and those piercing red eyes opened. Zelda had run through that moment in her mind multiple times that day, trying to burn it on her soul. The sheikah tried to leave, at first, her 'duty' done, but when Zelda had asked her to stay—fearing, deep in her heart, that she would be rejected again—the sheikah surprised her. She stayed. Not only that, but then she agreed to Zelda's wordless proposal. If today's change is heart lasted, despite the rockiness of their first couple weeks, the princess thought they would be just fine. She wouldn't be alone anymore and she would be just fine.

Pushing the bodyguard from her mind, or trying to at least, Zelda opened the book and picked back up to where she had been reading. Truth be told, she had already finished it and was reviewing certain sections in an attempt to figure out what it is about this old scientific comparison between the races, one of which was mostly extinct, that Impa wanted so badly to keep from her. It wasn't like Zelda didn't already know most of it. Perhaps the only detail she was rusty on was when the Professor described the way that the transient elements shared by the three races influenced their opinion of sexuality and gender stereotyping.

She flipped back to that section today and began to give it a deeper read. In an effort to have it finished in case Impa found it, the princess had gone through the book so fast the first time that she felt as if she didn't pull as much information out as she wanted to. This particular section was interesting to her, although she couldn't quite put her finger on it yet. "_Due to their deep relationship with their elements, as discussed in chapters one through five, the Sheikah tribe, Gerudo tribe, and Zora tribe have each developed similarly flexible relationships with gender and sexuality,_" she read. "_Most Zora are inherently androgynous, not exhibiting any particular trait that identifies them as male or female. This leads to Zora individuals not particularly caring about the gender of others. Sheikah also have a tendency toward androgyny as well. Sometimes, a sheikah individual may just choose to dress as the opposite sex because they feel they identify more with the opposite sex than with their birth sex. The Gerudo take an alternate path all together. Although they all identify as female and look or dress female, they pay no attention to traditional gender roles. In Gerudo partnerships, each Gerudo may perform both activities and roles traditionally defined as female as well as those traditionally defined as male." _

He spent a few pages delving into specific examples of these behaviors, which Zelda merely perused. She remember what he said about them and didn't need to read them again. Instead, she skipped down to the section where he goes into sheikah, gerudo, and zora sexuality. "_Along with their flexible ideas on gender stereotypes and gender roles, Zora, Sheikah, and Gerudo all share the belief that sexuality is not fixed. Rather, it is a spectrum that fluctuates with each person. Picture it as a number line, or timeline. On one end of the line is traditional attraction to the opposite sex. In hylian culture, we believe that this is the only type of attraction. Man and woman should always been attracted to and marry with those of the opposite sex. Our teaching and literature on the subject is very black and white, and many young hylian boys and girls never think it could be otherwise. However, young Gerudo, Sheikah, and Zora children are not raised this way. They are taught the spectrum of sexuality module shared by the three races, and on the other end of this line are those individuals who are attracted to members of the same sex. Relationships and marriages between men or between women are very common. The gerudo race, in fact, is a society in which same-sex relationships are almost exclusive. See chapter twenty for a thorough discussion of Gerudo reproductive habits. To focus on the timeline concept, however, Zora, Sheikah, and Gerudo all believe that a person can fall anywhere on the spectrum of sexuality. They could be attracted to opposite sex exclusively, or the same exclusively, or mostly, or a little. They could even be attracted to both sexes equally, not just existing on one or the other extreme."_

Zelda paused. Attraction between women? She furrowed her brow, remembering something later on in the chapter concerning sheikah same sex relationships. She flipped to it and found the section. "_In sheikah culture, same sex relationships are considered sacred, particularly those between women. They believe that those who find themselves on the female-leaning half of the spectrum are touched by the goddesses and their desire is a manifestation on earth of the perfect balance shared between the Holy Three._

"_This belief goes back to how the sheikah envision the relationship between the Great Golden Goddesses. In Hylian culture, it is said that the Golden Goddesses are like sisters and exist in perfect balance, though they are above small things like biological relationships and sisterly love. They are perfect and omniscient. The Sheikah Tribe, on the other hand, clings to a more primal view of the goddesses that dates back to before the earliest written myths. Their goddesses are jealous beings who hate and love and war with each other, not unlike the mortals they created. _

"_Let me give a concrete example of a Sheikah Legend that pertains to the topic at hand—sexuality. This story was told to me with great hesitation, which in itself is unusual. Sheikah are normally very forthcoming with their legends and knowledge. Believing themselves to be stewards of the goddesses in the mortal world, they see it as their duty to share that knowledge with others to increase their worship and devotion to the divine. However, these more primal legends, I gathered from my time with them, are seen as ancient and sacred to their people. In these legends, they say, lies the creation of the first Sheikah and the origin of their tribe. They are personal, somehow, and guarded. I will do my best to quote the legend, though my memory is fading in my old age. _

"_The primal legend that the Sheikah Matriarch, Impa, told me began like this: 'In the Sheikah Tribe, it is said that the goddesses did not always live in harmony. As they, themselves, were all that existed in the universe, they had only each other for company. There were times when Nayru and Farore found their mutual love of peace and life formed a particular bond between them, and Din was left out of this closeness because of her love of chaos and material things. Other times Din and Farore united over their mutual love of battle, weaponry, and acts of great valor. Nayru, the gentlest goddess, was left out. The rarest alignment, however, was the alignment of power and wisdom. Water and fire, darkness and light, Din and Nayru have the most opposite natures of the three goddesses. They butt heads over their opposing ideals, and some stories say that the stars and other burning celestial bodies in the heavens were created when they fought._

"_Legends say that a day came when that fire and tension between the two goddesses caused them to come together rather than fight. As the old saying goes, 'opposites attract', and such was true of Din and Nayru. Nayru discovered that Din had great thoughts on ruling over the life of the earth, a notion that Farore was very much against. As a goddess of Law and Order, Nayru appreciated Din's perspective. Were life to be created, it would need law and order, and it would need to be governed by someone stronger and wiser than themselves. _

_As Din and Nayru discussed their thoughts on what those laws should be and how creation should be governed, the goddess of love found herself _falling _in love_ _with the goddess of passion. Nayru admired Din's strength, and Din liked being admired. As she spent more time around the goddess of wisdom, Din found herself admiring the grace and beauty of the goddess of perfection. A jealous goddess, Din sought to tease Nayru away from Farore in order to have the goddess all to herself, and Nayru welcomed the excuse to spend time alone with her loved one. Nayru would play music and sing to pass the empty time, and Din would dance. They spent eons this way, caught in the passion of the art they made together, and legend says that eventually Din fell in love with Nayru as well."_

The princess paused and raised an eyebrow. Two of the goddesses _in love_? Really? But then, Zelda thought, if they were seen as celestial being that chose to remain together as allies and friends rather than sisters who had to remain together due to a genetic bond, then that dynamic changed things. They were three independent beings. Not to mention that if all that existed was each other, who else did they have to fall in love with except each other? And of course they would end up amusing themselves with petty arguments and alliances as ages and eons passed. It was a different view of the goddesses, for sure, but an interesting one.

Accepting the possibility of love between two goddesses as possible with these independent, humanoid versions of them, the princess continued reading. _"When Din and Nayru came together in love, art and self-expression came into being. Creation is a product of the union of passion and beauty. They created light and sound together. They created the sun and the moon together, and they designed how they move in the sky opposite of one another and yet always in harmony, much like the two goddesses themselves. These were the first of many things that Din and Nayru designed together in this period of love. _

_The story goes that the creative energies birthed by Din and Nayru's love eventually led them to begin designing the ultimate act of creation: the world itself. Din, with her strong, fiery arms cultivated the red earth, and Nayru created the laws that governed the world, like gravity and time. At first they were proud of the world they had created. But as they walked its red surface, the two goddesses realized that it was missing something, something that neither of them could provide: life. The very lifeforms who would live on the red earth and uphold the law. The only one who could create life was Farore. _

_Now, it is said that when the Goddess of Power and the Goddess of Wisdom first asked the Goddess of Courage to create life in their world, Farore refused. She was lonely and jealous of the love the goddesses shared. Finally, after much coaxing and pleading, she agreed to create life for Din and Nayru's experiment, but on one condition: Din had to agree to keep Nayru at an arm's length. The goddess of wisdom was to be given over to herself, Farore, to laugh and play as they once had, and selfish Din could rule over the lifeforms as she saw fit. _

_Din and Nayru refused of course. They were in love, and life wasn't that important. In fact, Din said, they could create their own lifeform, a perfect lifeform like themselves. A goddess. They would do this, she said, to show that they didn't need Farore. A part of Nayru felt bad, but for the love she had for Din she agreed. Din created the lifeform's body to look like Nayru. It had hair spun of gold, like the sun they had created, and wings of pure white, like the moon. Nayru made her beautiful, with eyes of blue and a smile that radiated grace, and she made her very wise. _

_Nayru was happy with the being they had made, but Din was not satisfied. The being was missing something. She was made of the perfect materials, shaped perfectly, and looked perfect, but she was hollow. As a sign of their love for one another, Nayru and Din decided to take a piece of each of their divinity and give it to the creature they had made. Each taking a small portion of their life-force, they placed the divinity inside their creature, and she was filled with the essence of a goddess. She was a lesser goddess, that was true, but one of them nonetheless. Happy with what they had done, Din and Nayru named the new goddess Hylia and declared it theirs. _

_Time passed, and as it did the lifeless, soul-less state of their love child began to bother Din and Nayru. They began to feel as if the empty goddess was just like their empty world—meaningless and shallow. Finally, one day Din stole away to Farore in secret while Nayru was trying to teach the empty Hylia how to walk. _

"_I will agree to your terms, if only so that Nayru and our child will not suffer any longer," said the Goddess of Power, "but on one condition: I want a people of my own. A people to watch over our child as she grows and learns in the world. A race to guard her and love her and keep her company. I know they can never be with her, such as I cannot be with Nayru anymore, but they can guard her from the shadows as she stands in the light." Farore agreed to this, and thus the First Sheikah was created, although it did not yet have life either. _

_Being a kind goddess at heart and knowing how painful it would be for Din and Nayru to be at odds for the rest of eternity, Farore allowed them to have one last moment alone. Nayru was mad about what Din had done without consulting her first, but a part of her also understood. After all, life is the most precious gift. _

_What the goddesses said then is not known, but our legends say that in their final moments together, Din and Nayru shared their final kiss. It was a kiss so passionate and so beautiful and so full of pain and longing that Farore, watching from a distance, shed a tear. That tear floated over and touched the lips of the goddesses, and from that kiss the Breath of Divine Life appeared as a vapor. It flew into both the shell of the Goddess, Hylia, and the shell of the First Sheikah, Impa. They breathed their first breaths together. Their first sights were of each other, and in that moment they were bound eternally by a bond deeper than simple love or duty. They shared the same spark of life. _

_And so it is said that the Sheikah exist to serve the Hylians, for they are the children of Hylia in this world. When the Goddess Hylia is reincarnated, so, too, will her Impa be incarnated alongside her, for they share the same spark of life and cannot exist without each other. This is the story of the First Sheikah and the Goddesses' Love.'_

_Elder Impa went on to tell me that although the Gerudo are believed to be the Chosen Race of Din, they were, in fact, created later in the world's lifespan. The Sheikah claim to be the Goddess Din's original Chosen Race. On a personal note, it was one of the greatest honors of this researcher's life to be told this origin story by one of the reincarnated Impas herself. She seemed to have a deeper understanding of this "shared spark" than any researcher could fully understand. _

Zelda closed the book. She set it aside and looked into the fire, furrowing her brow in concentration. She thought back on Impa's intimacy their first few meetings. Her sudden distance afterward. Her intense reluctance to share physical contact or emotional intimacy, even now. Not to mention her intense desire for Zelda not to read that book. Was Impa...attracted to her? Like Din and Nayru? It wasn't just common in Sheikah culture, it was revered as holy. Zelda blushed just thinking of it. However, the more she thought about it the more likely it seemed. Why else would she be so afraid of a simple touch unless she was hiding her own attraction? Impa may be her protector, but they were very close in age. Five years wasn't a very large age gap at all.

Zelda picked the book back up. She turned it over in her hands a couple times. Should she confront Impa with this new knowledge? Should she take different actions with her? After a little while, Zelda walked over and locked the book back in its drawer. She would not say anything. What did it matter if Impa was attracted to her? The "shared spark of life" wasn't about attraction like that, not all the time, and she was an honorable woman. Zelda trusted her with her life. Theirs was a different culture. As the future monarch of Hyrule, Zelda felt like it was her duty to honor such cultural differences. In fact, Zelda mused, she didn't really feel affronted by the realization or afraid. She wasn't bothered at all. Actually, Zelda felt...intrigued. And flattered. And excited. And that, in itself, was rather frightening.

Zelda felt herself blushing and she took a deep breath to calm her suddenly racing heart. Her mind started to bring up examples of her own feelings. How her heart beat when Impa was near. How her skin tingled when they touched. Her intense desire to be with the sheikah in any way, doing anything. Zelda shook her head to banish the thoughts. She was the Princess of Hyrule. It wasn't possible for the Princess of Hyrule to be attracted to a woman. Surely not.

Casting the train of thought from her mind, she decided to take a walk and get some fresh air. If she was going to act as if there was nothing different between them, as she had decided, then the princess was going to need to calm down. She was a master of controlling her expressions, she reminded herself, and Impa would return to find everything just as kosher as before. The only difference was that Zelda had figured out her secret…and what a secret it was.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

**Author's Notes:** See what I said about hanging in there? I didn't make you suffer too long. :) There won't be another update for a while—this is the last of the pre-edited chapters, and I have to finish writing the damn thing! It's over 200 PAGES! What happened?

Ah well. It's 200 freakin adorable pages. I hope that you will all stick with me when the next chapter is ready to go. Thank you for reading and please review!

~The Wolfess

****If you enjoy my writing, please check out my major work, the Doppelganger Trilogy. You can find books 1 and 2 completed on my profile.****


	7. Chapter 7

*****ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY****

!

**In Sotto Voce**

_By The Wolfess_

_!_

**Chapter 7**

The Loftwing Tower, located on the north side of Hyrule Castle, was considered an oddity of ancient architecture by modern builders. It was designed with huge open spaces on the top and sides of the tower with a single, narrow staircase that wound straight up around the central pillar. The floor was originally just planks of wood laid over wooden beams. It was thought to allow easy landing for a species of legendary bird called the loftwing that were said to be roughly the size of horses. Since loftwings had ceased to visit the tower for hundreds of years, suspected to have gone extinct, most of the holes had been sealed in the sides of the tower using new stonework to increase structural integrity. The floor had also been reinforced with actual stonework for humans to tread while caring for the new birds housed in the tower.

These days, breeds housed in the Loftwing Tower fell into three categories: sport, messenger, or courier. The sporting birds were falcons, hawks, eagles, or owls, and they were used for hunting mostly by those of the nobility interested in such things. Zelda had her own white falcon here, though she didn't hunt very often. The messenger birds were mostly pidgins, hawks, owls, or a few ravens. Lastly, the castle had a few falcons, eagles, larger owls, and even some pidgins that transported items larger than your standard rolled message.

These were all carefully trained and cared for by specific tradesmen called aviators who devoted their lives to bird husbandry and training. Aviation was a trade that traced its origins back to the time of legends, when hylians supposedly rode loftwings in the sky. Those aviators who believed in such tales took great pride in this history. In the modern age, aviators took positions throughout Hyrule, sometimes working for noble families or for specialized masters of the craft who rented out their services for rupees. Nonetheless, aviation was an ancient and well-respected profession, and none in the country were better than those who took up residence in the Loftwing Tower. So prestigious were these positions that those who became Tower Aviators were not only considered Grand Masters of the craft, they also lived in the tower itself and rarely left it. Their job was to pioneer the trade through research. Currently they were researching ways to breed desired characteristics in certain breeds of bird, as well as other smaller experimental goals. They rarely had to deal with people or distractions, which left them open to focusing exclusively on furthering the trade of aviation.

At their next scheduled appointment after the two sheikah's initial meeting, Elder Kishla chose to take the morning to introduce her successor to their current Tower Aviators and explain her relationship with them. During their week separation, Impa had been working on writing introductory messages on tiny bird scrolls to send out to each of the informants in hopes of establishing their new relationship and retrieving information. She could only work on it during her free time with the princess, so it had taken a few days to complete. On her part, Zelda had been writing in a journal more and more during free time. Every now and then she would sneak a look at the sheikah when she thought Impa wasn't looking. Of course, Impa was always looking. That was her job. She wrote Zelda's behavior off to teenage awkwardness with the new dynamic in their relationship and tried not to read too much into it.

At first, that awkwardness between them was shared. Ruto's words still lingered in the back of her mind, but they had crossed a line now and there was no going back. Impa had decided that if they were going to pursue a more informal relationship, the least she could do was ensure she did not initiate contact unless necessitated by Zelda's prophetic dreams. Instead, she waited for the princess to reach out to her, and the sheikah responded in kind. So far, they didn't touch much more than they had before. Zelda had taken her hand twice that week and they stood closer together when they were alone, but they had not shared a bed again. The big change, so far, was in how they spoke with one another. Around others, they were stiff and formal. Exactly as was appropriate. But when they were alone, or with Ruto or Link, then they spoke informally as friends. Zelda had even begun to confide the feelings and thoughts she kept private in Impa, and to inquire about Impa's feelings. The warrior wasn't usually a 'feelings' kind of person, that was for sure, but when Zelda asked she answered to the best of her ability. They were learning about one another, and every day was a little more comfortable than the last.

Impa had the tiny scrolls in a pouch on her hip as she followed the Elder to the top of the Loftwing Tower. "We use different breeds for different informants," Elder Kishla was explaining, "in order to use the bird that is the least conspicuous for the informant to receive. Pidgins go to the peasantry, Owls or Falcons are sent to the nobility, and either birds of prey or ravens are sent to our informants hiding in or near enemy territory." They had reached the top of the tower, where the Head of the Order of Aviators, Grand Master Peregrine, was working with a unique-looking eagle with red-tipped feathers and a golden head. He turned when he heard them approach, the unique eagle shifted to perch on his shoulder.

Grand Master Peregrine was a thin man with a light physique. He wore a traditional aviator's suit, comprised of large, thick leather plates sewn in strategic places on a cloth bodysuit. Compared to most suits, his had more leather than normal—practically covering his whole body—and the leather was tooled with intricate designs reminiscent of feathers. He wore a leather helmet on his head that covered his ears, except for a hole to allow him to hear. White hair poked out from underneath the helmet. His eyes were very wide and piercing, his nose was a huge beak, and he had a trimmed, white chinstrap beard. All in all, Grand Master Peregrine had the same visage as the birds with which he shared his name.

"Elder Kishla," he said, bowing a little. The eagle just stepped backward as his torso bent forward, and then returned to its original spot when he straightened. "What can I do for you?"

Kishla returned his bow. "Hello, Grand Master. I am here to introduce my replacement. I am retiring, as you may have heard, and Impa will be working with you from now on."

Grand Master Peregrine turned his gaze on Impa. "I see," he said. "She seems a bit young for this, doesn't she?" Impa shifted with discomfort. It wasn't the first time that someone had spoken about her as if she wasn't in the room, but it was still awkward.

Kishla nodded. "Yes, young, but quite capable I assure you. She has her messages prepared and categorized."

The Grand Master nodded. "Very well, very well. Produce them, then, and I shall dispatch the birds."

Impa fished the messages out of her pouch and handed them to him by category—peasants, nobles, and enemy informers. As he bustled away and started tying them to bird legs and dispatching the birds, Kishla explained. "Grand Master Peregrine comes from a whole family of aviators. He is the eleventh generation, I believe, and quite talented. That bird on his shoulder is the King's Eagle, specially bred to perform all three functions, and reserved only for his majesty's use. When sending your messages, we only deal with the Head of the Order. The less hands that are involved in seeing the messages, the less likelihood that the identities of your informers will get out. Now, although I trust Grand Master Peregrine, I never take gambles with our informants' identities. I stay close enough that I can see everything he does with the messages, to make sure he doesn't read them."

Impa nodded her understanding, and they were quiet as they watched the Grand Master send the last of the birds off. When he was done, he came back to where the sheikah women were watching. "The birds know their jobs. They'll deliver their messages and wait for a reply message. Once they have been supplied with the reply, they will return directly to you. Just whistle the bird song to release them from service and they will return here to the Tower for recuperation."

Impa bowed. "Thank you, Grand Master Peregrine. I look forward to working with you." He nodded and promptly turned away, returning to his training with the King's Eagle. He was obviously not one who enjoyed more conversation with other humans than was necessary.

Kishla led them back down the Tower steps and out into the central courtyard. "Young one, will you be joining me for meditation this morning?" the elder asked.

"No, thank you Elder Kishla," Impa replied. "I have plans I must take care of."

The elder eased down to her spot in the garden and prepared to mediate. "Very well. I will see you in a week. Do not neglect your mediation while we are apart."

Impa bowed and took her leave. She did indeed have other plans that day, and she was excited to get started on them. She had been thinking about it all week, and finally, two days ago, she had sent an owl ahead to prepare her surprise for the princess. The king _had _instructed her to get Zelda out of the library and into the world. Impa had a full day planned for them that she hoped the princess would remember fondly in the weeks to come.

The sheikah warrior took the path through the gardens to reach the stables. Once there, she found the young stable boy who had readied Zelda's horse their second day together and asked him to get two horses ready, and to make sure neither of them would be recognizable to the public. The young boy nodded and ran off to do as he was told. From there, Impa took a servant's passageway to reach the princess's room, and her own. She had been wearing something warmer and drabber for the visit to the birds, knowing how birds tended to be, so she washed up and changed. She wore her nice blue uniform, the one that Zelda liked. She didn't wear the armor plates with it today, instead strapping some leather greaves to her shins and leaving her arms and shoulders bare, except for the leather gauntlets she normally wore. Strapping the Great Sword to her back, Impa checked herself in Zelda's floor-to-ceiling, three-sided mirror and then left the room.

The sheikah made a bee line for Zelda's classroom. The princess was reading a book as Master Shaddrick kneeled by Ruto's desk and helped the zora girl with the mathematics they were working on. Impa stepped just inside the door and cleared her throat, softly.

Master Shaddrick was a younger man with dusty brown hair and large glasses. He always had a particular book with him about a mythical race called the Ooccoo who supposedly helped the goddesses create hylians. Given the opportunity, he would go on about the creatures at the smallest hint of interest. At this moment, the book was on his desk as he looked up at her and adjusted his glasses. "Oh, Captain Impa. Hello. Can I help you with something?"

Impa bowed a little. "Yes, please. May I take the princess for the remainder of the day, Master?"

Master Shaddrick nodded. "Yes, of course, go ahead. She is well ahead in her studies." In fact, he seemed almost pleased that Zelda was doing something OTHER than studying.

The princess blinked a little as she looked up at Impa, as if waking up from a dream. Impa smiled. Whatever book she was reading must have been very engrossing. As soon as Zelda's eyes cleared, it seemed to click that they were leaving. She threw Impa a questioning look as she stood and put her book back where she could pick it up tomorrow. Ruto, on the other hand, was glaring at them both. Impa knew she would be angry that she could not come, which was half the reason why the sheikah had wanted to pick Zelda up during class. Impa just grinned at both of the princesses and nodded her head toward the door.

"Impa, what is this about?" Zelda asked once they were out of the classroom and walking down the hall.

"I have a surprise for you," Impa answered, glancing at the princess from the corner of her eye.

The blond hylian was looking more and more confused by the moment. "For me? What is it?" She laughed at herself and shook her head. "Never mind, that is a silly question."

Impa couldn't help but grin. "Yes it is. Now, come on! Follow me!" Without warning, she burst out in a run and sped down the hall.

Zelda laughed, but she ran as well and caught up to the sheikah quickly. They raced through the halls of the castle toward the stables, their laughter bouncing off of the walls. Servants poked their heads out to look, confused by the fact that their princess was running…and laughing…and with someone her own age. Rumors would fly from their mouths that night, but the two women didn't care. They burst out of the castle into the stable yard with their cheeks flushed and their chests hurting from laughing while running. The stable boy brought the horses out right away, and Zelda looked at them with increasing confusion.

"You're giving me a new horse?" she asked, not recognizing the steed they brought out. She cocked an eyebrow at the sheikah.

Impa look incredulous. "Of course not. Get _on _the horse."

"Oh fine," Zelda said, and she thanked Impa when the sheikah helped her up into the saddle. Once Zelda was settled, Impa mounted the other horse and nudged the mare forward. Zelda followed, and they trotted out of the main Castle Gate leading down to Castle Town.

Once they were outside of the castle walls and the huge wooden gate was closed behind them, Impa slowed them from a trot to a walk. She brought her horse as close to Zelda's as she dared and just smiled at the princess. Zelda blushed and looked away, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked, peaking at Impa out of the corner of her eye.

Impa shook her head. "No reason," she said. "How has your morning been, princess?"

"Dull," Zelda answered, squinting her eyes at the sheikah, "but you are not going to waive my question."

"I always watch you," Impa answered with a shrug. "That's what I am supposed to do, remember?" She grinned, feigning innocence, but Zelda just raised an eyebrow. She would not be fooled. Sure, she already knew the most likely root cause, but Zelda was becoming familiar enough with the sheikah to know that to be open with such an intimate look meant that there was a specific reason, and the princess was curious to hear what her protector would say.

Impa sighed and looked ahead of them as the trees lining the cobblestone road to the castle began to give way to the first few buildings and walls of Castle Town. "Fine, if that is your wish. In the interest of following up on your request for me to articulate my feelings more, I will try to answer." She narrowed her eyes a little and stared ahead of her as she tried to figure out how much to tell and how to tell it. "I feel…as if I have taken real steps toward fitting into the role I have been given. Captain and Guardian to the Princess of Hyrule are both large shoes to fill. Not only that, but today is special." Her expression clouded a little with apprehension as she continued, her voice a little lower. "There is darkness on the horizon, I know that. There will be more pain and war before there is joy in the world, I know that too. I trust in the dreams of the Descendant of Hylia, the Princess of Hyrule." Finally, Impa looked at the princess, her expression suddenly tender and grateful. Zelda couldn't help but smile in return "But_ today_, princess, you are just Zelda and I am just Impa, two friends spending a day in town. Today, Zelda, I know that you are and will be safe. That's why this day is special. For one day, at least, you are out of danger and I can treat you to something you are not accustomed to. I will not be able to do that very often in our lives together, I think. So, to answer your question, I looked at you 'strangely' because I am happy and grateful to be in your presence."

The sheikah looked down at her saddle horn and tried not to blush. She hadn't meant to say quite so much, but she found that lately she was feeling safer to speak her mind every day, even when protocol said otherwise. It was so easy and natural to be around Zelda. The more that Impa got to know her, the more she began to feel a deep affection for the princess. It was easy to be together when she stopped raising so many walls between them. Whatever caution she was taking before be damned, Impa thought. If Zelda started asking questions, Impa would answer them and they would have an adult conversation about why it wasn't possible. Today, it was much more important for Impa to make the princess smile and feel special than to avoid her on the pretense of protecting the line of Hylia. Let the goddesses figure out their own problems. Today, Impa would do her best to show the princess things that she had never seen. Today, she would delight in Zelda's smile, Zelda's laugh, and, if she was lucky, Zelda's gentle touch.

Next to her, Zelda was looking at Impa in the same way that the sheikah had been looking at her a moment before. It was Impa's turn to blush, and Zelda's turn to gaze upon the white-haired older girl with admiration. It felt ironic to the princess that she, barely a woman and so naive about the world outside of the walls of the castle, was able to make a more mature woman and skilled warrior such as Impa blush. Then again, it was funny to Zelda that the sheikah could be attracted to her in the first place. Still, she _did_ like Zelda, the princess was increasingly aware of that every day now.

Now that she knew what had been causing Impa to be so distant before, she had been trying to stand off more and not tease the sheikah's self-control. It had been surprisingly difficult to restrain herself, a curious fact that Zelda purposefully did not dwell on. Today, though, the sheikah's words were so sweet, and they were alone, and Impa was so beautiful with the sunlight sparkling in her hair. Zelda steered the horse right next to Impa's. She held her hand out, the unspoken request in the gesture left hanging between them. Impa raised her eyes to meet the princess's gaze and she placed her hand in the princess's. Butterflies fluttered in Zelda's stomach, as they always did. She swallowed the lump that had risen in her throat. Their fingers twined together and they held on to one another as the horses clopped slowly toward the town.

Impa pulled her horse to a stop just before they reached the town. She let go of Zelda's hand and reached around to grab a small satchel she had with her. "Put this on for a moment," she said, pulling a simple blue cloak out. "I have something for you to change into when we reach our destination, but until then I don't want you to be recognized." Zelda did as she was told, pulling the cloak tight about her to cover her nice dress and the hood over her head to hide her face. Satisfied, the sheikah nodded and led the princess into the city.

The morning was in full swing in Hyrule Castle Town market. Merchants were lining the side streets peddling their wares, while the citizens of the town—peasants and nobles alike—all mingled together going from shop to shop, or rushing through the middle of the pressing crowds to reach a destination. Zelda looked around from atop her horse, her eyes wide. Sure, she had traveled to the town before, but only in Royal Regalia and with a full guard to make sure she would be safe. People always stopped and stared at her as she passed. All movement froze, as if her presence demanded a kind of reverent pause. She had never seen the people like this, full of life and excitement as they went about their normal days.

"How do they not recognize you?" Zelda asked. "You are my guard. It would follow that the young woman traveling with you would be the princess, would it not?"

Impa shrugged. "They recognize me, yes, but only because I lived here for a few years. Most of these people are too low in the hierarchies of Hyrule to have heard of my promotion yet. They just assume that I'm coming to visit my old master with a friend."

Zelda grinned. "Wait…are we?" She thought back to one of their first times together, when Impa had told her that Rauru could help her learn her element. Could it be that this was Impa's surprise? Impa turned down a side street, all sly grins, and did not say a word. She would keep Zelda in the dark as long as she possibly could.

The sheikah stopped their horses just in front of a quaint little home. The house was a two story, thatched roof cottage that had cedar shingles with a mild wave. Along the bottom story, it had river stone walls that faded to the standard white cottage-siding from the top story to the roof. The front yard was fenced by a well-kept hedge already in full green, and various flowers and plants were beginning to bloom in the flower beds. Impa tied their horses to the hitching post out front, helped Zelda down, and then walked them up the cobblestone path to the front door.

After Impa knocked, it was only a moment until they heard movement within. She didn't recognize the man who opened the door. He appeared to be of an age with her, and only a few inches taller. He was broad of shoulder and wore a simple red tunic. Impa knew the tunic to be Rauru's preferred garb for his trainees, the color usually signifying which element—or combination of elements—that trainee preferred. If this young man was a trainee, his element would be fire. Impa's tunic had been blue with red accents because she was a dual-element trainee.

Something about this man put Impa on edge right away. She attributed it to the harsh look in his eyes and the hard planes on his face. His facial tattoos also surprised her. The area from his eyes upward was tattooed black, with two black spikes extending down his cheeks, making his face look oddly shadowed beneath his shaggy, medium-length blond hair. He had a little stub of blond beard on his chin which he used some gel to shape into a hard spike jutting out from his chin.

"Volga, who is at the door?" came a voice from within. Impa smiled. She knew that aged voice.

"It's me, Master Rauru! Impa," she called.

An old, bald man with a handlebar mustache and chops that were pure white appeared behind Volga's statue-like form. He was wearing golden robes with yellow and orange accents. The sleeves were so long his hands disappeared within them. "Why_, it is_ you!" the old man exclaimed. "Come, Volga, where are you manners? Move aside and let our guests in!" The silent young man bowed his head and did as he was told. Rauru ushered Impa and Zelda into the main parlor and Volga closed the door behind them. "I received your owl," Master Rauru was saying as he sat in his favorite chair in the front parlor. Zelda and Impa sat on the couch opposite him. "Is this the young lady, then?"

Impa nodded. "It is, Master. She is not dressed in appropriate attire, however, so may I use the upstairs bedroom to help her change?"

"Yes, yes, of course! Volga is using your old room at the moment, so you will have to use the guest room. Your Naginata is in there, by the way. You said that you wanted to take it with you."

Impa stood, her satchel slung over her right shoulder. "I do. Thank you very much. We will be right back." She took Zelda's hand as she led her up the stairs. She could see Volga down below them, standing off to the side and watching as they ascended. She narrowed her eyes at him and he looked away.

When they came to the guest room, Impa closed the door behind them and locked it. She did not trust that Volga character one bit, but she wasn't going to worry the princess with her hunches today. When she turned around, Zelda was grinning at her. "This is my surprise, is it not?" she said, bouncing on her toes a little. "You are going to help me find my element!"

Impa nodded and pulled some dark blue clothes out of her satchel. "Yes, that is the surprise. But I still don't want him or anyone else to know who you are, so I brought this sheikah outfit for you to wear. It's an older outfit of mine, but I grew out of it pretty quickly so it's still in good condition. It should be about your size."

She held out the pieces, and Zelda laid them out on the bed as Impa handed them to her. There was the main body suit, the leather plates that went over that, and the cloth wraps, and the shin guards, and more. Once it was all laid out, Zelda looked at it all with a puzzled expression. She picked up one piece and then another. Blushing a little, she looked back at her protector. "How…uh…how do I put it on?" she asked, looking sheepish for not knowing.

Impa blinked and then frowned. "Well…ah…I guess I can help you. It's a little hard to explain."

Zelda nodded and removed the cloak Impa had given her before. The sheikah put it back in the satchel for Zelda to wear when they rode back to the castle. It would be just as awkward for the bodyguard to show up back at the castle with a random sheikah in tow as it was for her to come to town with the Princess of Hyrule. Underneath the cloak, Zelda was wearing a green sleeveless dress over a cream-colored peasant-top shirt. The middle portion of the dress was a corset that laced up the back, and the shirt stuck out of the top, covering the princess's arms and bodice. Lacing up that corset had been a painful process that Impa had helped her with this morning, and now Zelda brushed her hair over her shoulder and bowed her head down so that the sheikah could unlace it.

Impa swallowed a little as she approached. The knot she had tied this morning was at the base of the corset, right at Zelda's waist, and the white-haired woman picked it out now as carefully as she could. Once the strings were free, it was relatively simple to pull them out one by one. At least, it was supposed to be simple. As the princess's gentle perfume filled her senses, the soft skin of the back of her neck seemed to beg for Impa's lips, and it soon became apparent that it would not be so simple for one of them. The sheikah grit her teeth and restrained herself, focusing instead on pulling the strings out of each eyelet until the corset was loose and Zelda was able to pull it off. She handed it to her protector and began to step out of the skirt and petticoats as Impa put the articles of clothing away and tried not to look.

Dressed in nothing but her underclothes, Zelda handed the rest of her clothing to Impa and picked up the bodysuit. "Is this one first?" she asked, her voice soft and her eyes not quite meeting Impa's.

"Uh, a-almost," Impa silently cursed herself for stuttering. Zelda usually had a servant come in and help her undress, or, if she did have Impa help, she went into her private room to finish after the sheikah helped her with the corset. They had never actually had to be in the same room while Zelda was undressed before, and the sheikah couldn't believe she hadn't thought about that possibility before. Somehow she had assumed that Zelda knew how to put on a sheikah uniform. The sheikah had thought that she could wait outside while the princess dressed. She was obviously very mistaken.

Still, Impa composed herself quickly and crossed the room to Zelda. The princess was shy and vulnerable, and the sheikah would not make her stand like that while she got her own impulses under control. "These wraps here," Impa said, picking up the longest of the white bandages. She held them up for Zelda to see and then placed them in the princess's hands. Pulling aside her own loose blue top, Impa gestured to the bandages around her chest. "Do you see how tightly these are wound?" Zelda nodded, and the sheikah continued. "When you are in battle, it is helpful for your breasts to be bound flat so that they don't move around. It's more practical than traditional hylian battle attire for women. The breastplate you would normally wear is fine for protecting your breasts, and looks fine to others looking at you, but they leave you too free and the movement can be painful when you are actually fighting. Binding them prevents that. Does that make sense?"

Zelda nodded. "So, I should wrap them around my chest like yours?" she asked. At Impa's nod, Zelda started wrapping them, and then shook her head and undid it. It was too loose. She tried again, but this time it didn't feel like it was in the right place. After a third attempt, the princess sighed in frustration. "Could I see how you did it?" she asked. Impa had gone to look out the window, and she came back at Zelda's question.

"Of course," Impa said. She slipped her free arm out of the top of her uniform and let the fabric hang loosely over the metal armor belt she wore around her abdomen. Unhooking the straps that held her breastplate in place, Impa set it on the bed and then held her arms out for Zelda to get a better look at how she had wrapped her own chest.

Zelda circled around her protector to get a better look. Impa had started in the middle of her sternum in the front and wound the bandages around to the left, but it was not her chest binding techniques that drew the princess's gaze. Zelda had never seen so much of the sheikah's skin exposed before, and her breath came shorter than normal as she observed the muscles in the sheikah's back and shoulders, the tan color of her skin, or the paler areas where the skin obviously saw less sunlight. She looked so strong, but not in an exaggerated way that made her look like a man. There was still a softness to her shoulders alongside all the obvious strength she needed in order to wield her large weapons. Zelda had not expected to see such a captivating combination of power and elegance in any human body. Fascinated and forgetting herself, the princess reached her hand out and traced her fingertips up the middle of Impa's back, following the line of her spine and stopping at the edge of the wraps.

Impa shivered a little and her muscles twitched under Zelda's unexpected touch. The princess gasped a little and withdrew her hand. "I am sorry," she whispered, curling her hand into her chest.

"It's okay," Impa said, not moving from where she stood. Zelda had asked to see, and the sheikah would wait until the princess gave her permission to dress again. "It…it doesn't bother me."

"I—I think I understand," Zelda said, stepping away from Impa's body and turning away. "Thank you for letting me see your technique. You may dress now."

Seeing the princess successfully maneuvering the wraps and not looking at her anymore, Impa closed her eyes and sighed. She shivered again, her skin tingling where Zelda's fingers had so gently caressed her skin, and picked up her breastplate. Binding it in place and pulling her shift back on, Impa adjusted it and then turned to observe Zelda's progress. The princess had successfully bound her chest and was holding the end of the wrap and looking confused. "Here," Impa said, crossing over to her. "Tuck it in like this." She took the bandage from Zelda and tucked it into itself on the side, underneath the princess's arm. "It can hide in the fold, and if you have it tight enough it shouldn't slip out or loosen," Impa explained.

Zelda turned to face Impa. They were standing very close, and a light blush painted the princess's cheeks. "Thank you," she said, looking into Impa's eyes.

The sheikah swallowed. She was acutely aware of how scantily clad the princess was, and how close together they were standing. It would be so easy to pull the princess into her arms and kiss her in this moment. Instead, Impa stepped back. "Your welcome," she said, retreating from Zelda's intense gaze and red lips. "The bodysuit is next," she said. She picked it up from the bed and held it out to Zelda. The princess slipped inside. Once that was on, it was simpler for Impa to hand her the different pieces and instruct her in how they attached to the rest of the suit.

"Luckily, your hair is already braided, so we just have to slip this barb into the end and wrap the tail a little, then wrap your face and head in the turban so no one recognizes you," Impa said. Zelda smiled and turned so Impa could put on these finishing touches. As the sheikah worked, the princess's mind drifted back to the way her skin had felt underneath Zelda's fingers. It was cool to the touch and smooth. She was glad that the face wrap hid the way a blush crept back into her cheeks.

Impa finished the costume by strapping some small throwing daggers to each of Zelda's thighs and pulling out a small vile of liquid. "I purchased this solution on the black market a few days ago," she explained, shaking it up a little. "There is a potion-master down the street who specializes in mixtures that will change one's appearance. I won't insult your intelligence by explaining why." Zelda nodded, and Impa continued. "This solution will change the color of your irises to red, like a sheikah. But it washes out with water, and you will need to put more in every three hours or so to maintain the effect. Also, make sure not to cry. Crying will wash it right out."

Zelda nodded again, and Impa tilted the princess's head back. She put three drops in each eye and instructed Zelda to close her eyelids and keep her head tilted back for a minute, to allow the solution to do its work. When the princess straightened her neck and opened her eyes again, they were a bright sheikah red. Impa wiped the extra liquid off of Zelda's cheeks with her thumbs and smiled. "There, you look like a perfect Sheikah," she said. Her hands stayed on the sides of Zelda's face for a moment, stroking her cheeks, until Impa realized what she was doing and dropped her hands to her sides.

"Do I look convincing?" Zelda asked, trying to look at herself. It felt strange not to be wearing skirts or dresses, but she also felt as if she liked it. She had so much more freedom of movement this way.

"Yes!" Impa exclaimed. "Go look in the mirror if you don't believe me."

Zelda crossed to the looking glass on the other wall. It wasn't as big as the one she had in the castle, but if she stood far enough back she could see herself just fine. Her eyes widened and she turned her body this way and that so she could really get a good look. "Wow," she murmured. "I barely look like a woman."

Impa smiled and nodded. "You have a slight form," she said. "You are narrower of hip than I, and flatter of chest. If you ever need to hide your identity, Zelda, this would be perfect. You could easily pass yourself off as a young sheikah boy. Even I would not recognize you if I hadn't helped you change."

Zelda spun around, enjoying how the new outfit felt and how free her limbs felt. Impa laughed a little at her enthusiasm, and Zelda just grinned at her in response. "What shall I call myself?" she asked. "When we see Rauru, he will want to know my name."

"I took the liberty of giving you a name already," Impa answered. "I hope you don't mind. I told him your name is Sheik. It's a traditional gender-neutral sheikah name, so you can use it no matter what gender you tell people you are. Really, Zel, you could pass for both."

"Sheik," Zelda said, as if testing the name on her tongue. "I like it!" she finally exclaimed.

"Great," Impa said. "We should get going down there then." She crossed over to her bag and tied it shut, Zelda's entire dress folded away inside. Before heading to the door, Impa walked to the closet in the corner of the room and opened the door. She pulled a large weapon from inside it and closed the door again. Zelda's eyes widened as Impa swung the weapon around once and then slammed its but on the ground and slung the satchel over her shoulder.

"Is that your naginata?" Zelda asked.

Impa nodded and slid her hand up and down the red shaft. "It is," she said. Her eyes caressed it like a lover, and Zelda felt an odd twitch of something strange in her heart, as if, for half a heartbeat, she wished that Impa would look at her that way. She cut the thought off before it could fully form. "This is a legendary weapon," Impa was explaining. "It is called the Sheikah Naginata, and it has passed from one matriarch of our tribe to the next. There are many legends of its power and magical properties in battle. I will tell you some of them one day, if you want."

Zelda nodded, examining the weapon closer. It had a shorter red hilt and a blade shaped like a wing made out of some unknown black metal that seemed to shimmer. It was like a raven's wing. A large gold and red sheikah eye fastened the wing-blade to the shaft, and a strip of turquoise was tied around the blade just above the eye, almost as decoration. "I would like that very much," the princess said. She was always interested in learning new legends she had never hear before.

Impa nodded and continued. "There is no weapon more powerful than the Sheikah Naginata, except for the Master Sword of course. My mother is the matriarch of our tribe now, not me, but she passed it to me when I left. It was an unusual gesture. She told me that she was giving it to me because she thought that I was ready, and to signal to our tribe that if anything should happen to her, the tribal leadership will pass to me."

"I hope that is no time soon," Zelda said.

Impa hefted the weapon over her shoulder as if it weighed nothing, which Zelda knew couldn't be true. "I agree," the sheikah said. She opened the door and gestured outside. "Shall we?"

Zelda nodded. "Thank you." She left the room and started down the stairs, her sheikah guardian close behind her. Impa set the satchel at the base of the stairs, knowing she could pick it up on their way back to the horses, while Zelda went to the living room.

"Ah, I see you are ready," Rauru said. He pushed himself up out of the chair. "Impa said in her letter that your name is Sheik, correct?"

"Yes," Zelda said, bowing in respect. Knowing that she was not supposed to be a princess, she did a man's bow, and bent lower than she normally would. She _was _in the presence of a Grand Master after all. Impa came to stand beside her, Sheikah Naginata in hand, as master Rauru continued.

"Well then, well met Sheik. I am Rauru, Grand Master of the Magical Arts. As Impa has probably told you, I specialize in helping young people discover their natural elements and train them to use their element in battle. Impa was one of my star pupils," he shot an affectionate look at her, and the sheikah waved him away.

"You give me too much credit, Master," she said. "I could not have learned without your tutelage."

Rauru laughed a little, a twinkle in his eye. "Yes, well, be that as it is, you still have natural skill and discipline. It cannot be helped if I brag about my best work."

"I suppose it can't," Impa conceded.

Rauru started walking toward the back of the cottage, knowing the two sheikah would follow him. They exited out the back door and found themselves in an exceptionally large training area. There were various weapons of all kinds in an enclosure to the left, and straight in front of them was a huge practice square. In the middle of it, Volga had a large dragon-spear and was practicing. Just as Impa suspected, he was a fire-wielder. It came off of his moves in powerful, yet uncontrolled bursts. When he noticed them watching him, he stopped. He was breathing hard as he looked at them, his expression unreadable, and small puffs of fire escaped from his lips with each exhale.

"Volga is exceptionally skilled with fire, as you can see," Rauru said. "Among his own people, he was known as the Dragon Knight. Unfortunately, he has little control over his power, which is why he is here. To unlock his untapped potential, and to help him learn control. Actually, Impa, his style of fighting with that Dragon Spear is very similar to your own. I would be interested in pitting you against each other. You have much more skill and control than he does, but I think his sheer power will put you on your toes…?"

Impa shook her head. "No thank you, Master," she said. "We are not here to pit me against your current trainee. We are here for Sheik."

Zelda raised her eyebrows. "Actually, I would be interested to see you fight as well," she said. She was grinning behind her face mask, and Impa could see the mischief in her eyes.

"Please? For your old master?" Rauru said. "It might be the last time I get to see you fight, with your new appointment. It was kind of the princess to let you and young Sheik here visit for the day, but I doubt she will spare you very often in the future."

Impa sighed. She tilted her head to each side to loosen up and neck and started rotating her shoulders. "Very well," she said. "If you both insist, I shall do my best."

Standing in the middle of the practice square, Volga twirled his spear around and grinned, narrowing his eyes at her. He held it out to the side when he was done, standing in his ready position. Something about him still made Impa feel uneasy. She was trying to put her finger on it as she stepped into the practice square opposite him. She spun her naginata around her back and then in a circle in front of her. She finished by slamming the butt of its shaft into the ground in front of her. There was such power behind the gesture that the cement dented and cracked. On the sidelines, Zelda gasped, and Rauru shook his head. "I just got the old one replaced for that very reason," he said, clicking his tongue.

Volga stepped to the right, and Impa circled to follow him. They danced around one another for a few moments, getting a feel for each other. Volga radiated power and overconfidence. His stance was slightly casual, as if he wasn't expecting a real challenge. Impa, on the other hand, was cautious and light in her stance, bouncing from foot to foot at a rapid pace with her weapon at the ready. She held the naginata at an angle with both hands, the wing-blade pointed downward and the butt of the shaft up by her cheek.

The Dragon Knight made the first move. He jabbed the point of his spear forward, a burst of flame shooting out at Impa along with the point of the blade. Even as Impa leapt to the side to dodge, her own naginata was twirling around toward the fire. She caught it on the blade and combined his own fire with fire of her own creation. It swirled up and down the length of the sheikah weapon for a just a heartbeat as Impa twirled it in the air. Trailing the tip of the fiery blade along the ground, she left a circle of fire burning around her feet as she flung the rest of the fire in Volga's direction. It landed around him in a line of flames as tall as he was.

He shouted and jumped back. Impa squelched the flames with her free hand, as if curling it up into her palm. The fiery trainee was holding his arm and panting, obviously hurt. Impa stood back and watched him, her red eyes sparking with fire. Something told her that he was not the type to back down from a single burn.

The sheikah read him correctly. He leapt forward in a charge, twirling his spear in the air in front of him. Fire spread from his hands down the length of the spear. As it twirled, the flames trailed behind the spear, creating a windmill effect. Impa jumped backward as he ran at her, but she couldn't avoid such a powerful frontal attack—at least, that was Zelda's thought as she screamed Impa's name and clutched her breast in fear. Rauru just smiled and placed a comforting hand on Zelda's shoulder. "Just wait," he said.

Volga continued pressing his attack, and Impa continued to back away. Soon, it became obvious to Zelda that her sheikah protector might be maneuvering the dragon knight. When Impa got him where she wanted him, Zelda could tell in the slight shift in her weight distribution. She went from being back on her heals in a defensive stance to being up on her toes. Before Zelda could ask herself why, the sheikah leapt straight up in the air. Fire swirled around her as she rotated her body in the air. It looked to Zelda, somehow, as if Impa's naginata was made out of fire, in the same way that her great sword could sometimes be made of water. The dragon knight was too engrossed in pressing his attack forward to be able to stop himself and turn around when the sheikah woman landed directly behind him. Her naginata caught Volga in the back, fire bursting from the flat of the blade that she hit him with and setting his clothes aflame.

"AHH!" he screamed, dropping his spear. He ran to the side, where a large tub of water sat for just such an occasion, and jumped in. He sighed as steam rose up around him.

As Impa turned to face the princess, there were trails of fire still swirling around her. The red light danced in her hair and reflected in her eyes. A sheen of sweat glistened on her skin, and waves of heat rippled around her like an aura of power. Zelda's mouth hung open, her tongue dry and forgotten. The memory of how Impa's skin and muscles had felt under her hand in the upstairs bedroom leapt, unbidden, into the princess's mind and she swallowed hard. For once, she didn't try to banish the memory as Impa approached and the fire died around her.

"Are you okay, Sheik?" the sheikah asked, concern lining her features. "I heard you scream."

Rauru chuckled and clapped his hands together. "She was merely frightened for you," he answered, his eyes dancing with merriment. "One who has not seen you fight with your natural weapon cannot know there would be nothing to fear. You were delightful, child! Simply marvelous!" Volga approached just then, as silent as always, and dripping wet. He seemed to be gritting his teeth and glaring at Impa. "Oh, don't be angry Volga. Take this as your next lesson. You always think that power and a forward approach are the best tactics, and against weaker foes you are correct. But I knew from that start that it would be no contest between Impa and you. She has much more control over her body and her magic. No matter how powerful you are, you cannot touch her. I have been trying to teach you this, but you refused to even attempt. You can learn a lot from Impa."

Volga bowed toward Rauru, the movement stiff and not as low as it should be. "I will try to learn, master," he said. He then bowed toward Impa, so shallowly that it might actually have been more of an insult than a show of respect. "Thank you for your lesson," he said, his tone more of a growl than speech. "I would like to face you again someday, when I am stronger."

Impa bowed in return, and her bow was much more respectful of a fallen opponent. "I look forward to the rematch," she said. Wiping the sweat from her brow, she shot a weird look at Zelda. The princess was still just staring with her mouth hanging open. Closing her mouth, Zelda blushed bright red behind her face mask. Luckily, Rauru didn't notice as he was already walking toward his weapon enclosure and talking to them over his shoulder.

"Now, Sheik, thank you for indulging my little teaching session. Please follow me," he said. The two sheikah hurried after him. The old master led them into the enclosure and turned to speak once they were all there. "Now, the first step to discovering your element is choosing the weapon or weapons you feel most comfortable with. Finding your weapon is a deeply personal search, so Impa and I will wait just outside while you look at what I have here." He pulled Impa out before the sheikah could protest, leaving Zelda alone in the weapon-filled enclosure.

On the walls, she saw goron-made Great Swords like Impa's (which must be where she got hers), alongside spears, swords, bows and arrows, and all manner of other weapons in various styles and sizes. She even saw a huge gauntlet with a ball and chain, along with a massive hammer, a strange silver scale, a decorated book, a wooden spear, a parasol, an ornate staff, and all manner of odd items, many of which Zelda couldn't imagine being a weapon to begin with.

Once Zelda had walked around once, she went around again and started really picking up items and feeling them. She found a rapier that she liked a lot. She had been trained in fighting with such a weapon, and she knew she would be able to use it well. Along with that, there was a strange baton that she couldn't seem to take her eyes off of. Not knowing how it could be a weapon, she decided to take it anyway. Perhaps Rauru could explain it to her.

When she brought her two weapons out of the enclosure, Rauru came over and smiled. "Ah, the glittering rapier and the baton. I am surprised. These are strange choices for a sheikah."

Impa came to Zelda's side. "She is not your normal sheikah," she said, smiling. Something about the way she smiled and the way she held herself made Zelda feel as if her protector was proud of her choice, even if she did not say it.

Rauru clapped his hands together again. "Very well, then come to the practice square. Impa, Sheik knows you better than me so I will need you to help in my stead." Impa nodded and went to stand in the practice square along with Zelda. "Let us begin with the rapier, as I think that will be an easier introduction for you," said Master Rauru. Zelda nodded and handed the baton to him. "Now, go stand across from Impa. Very good. And set your rapier on the ground beside you, for now." Zelda did as she was told, and she and Impa looked at one another as Master Rauru began his explanation.

"You see, Sheik, finding the element inside of yourself can be difficult without help from someone who already knows and has mastered their own elements. It should also be someone you are comfortable with, as any unfamiliarity or discomfort can get in the way of the spirit connection that is needed for a successful guidance to self-discovery. Impa and I spent a good month getting to know one another before her spirit would let me get close to it. She was quite a challenge. We do not have that much time to help you, so I am hoping that your connection with Impa is deep enough to allow her in."

Zelda didn't quite understand what he meant, but Impa seemed to, so the princess nodded. "Good. Now, Impa, you know how this works. I will be right here if you have questions, but I won't interrupt." He went to sit on a chair by the house and monitor them. Volga grunted and went inside the cottage, obviously disgruntled by his loss and irritated with their interruption of his practice.

Impa smiled at Zelda and held her hands out between them, palms up. "Don't pay attention to him," she said, her voice quiet. The air around them seemed very still and silent all of a sudden. "Just put your hands in mine and close your eyes." Zelda nodded. She placed her palms on top of Impa's, just low enough so that the skin of their fingers would touch. Impa's fingers were very warm, as if somehow still touched by fire. Zelda looked from their hands up to Impa's face. The sheikah's eyes were sparkling. "Close your eyes," she whispered. Zelda closed her eyes.

"Turn your thoughts inward," Impa said, her voice merely a whisper in the air between them. "Shut out every outside stimulus, including me. You are trying to find that silent space inside of yourself where you soul is." At first, all Zelda could feel or hear or sense was everything outside of herself. She heard the birds and the trees, the bustle of the city outside of Rauru's wooden gate. She heard the old man sitting in his chair, rocking as he watched them. She felt the warmth of Impa's body radiating through her clothes. She smelled the slight scent of sweat, fire, and something uniquely _Impa_ that was familiar enough to seem natural. Impa was always with her, always watching. Being with Impa was like being alone with herself sometimes. Impa was a part of her.

All of the other sensations faded, until only Impa and herself remained. Zelda stepped a little closer to the sheikah, so focused on trying to find that space of solitude inside of herself that she didn't realize what she was doing outside. Outside, her hands slid along Impa's arms. Their bodies got closer as Zelda's hands moved up Impa's arms and down her sides. They came to a rest on the sheikah's hips, and then slid behind her. Zelda's arms wrapped around Impa, her chin coming to rest on the sheikah's shoulder as her head leaned up against the side of Impa's head.

Their bodies were touching and completely entwined now. Neither of them seemed to realize the embrace they found themselves in, as both of their eyes were closed. All outside sensation faded away, even the sense of separateness between their bodies. Zelda felt as if Impa was a part of her. The sheikah's presence was somehow wet, like water flowing through the princess's body, but contained the heat of fire. _It's okay_, a voice inside Zelda said, Impa's voice. _I'll guide you. Keep reaching._ Zelda reached deeper, and the water of Impa's presence seemed to flow within her, guiding her. They came to a space within Zelda's spirit where the water stopped, and Zelda felt Impa's presence begin to fade. Don't go, she wanted to say, don't leave me. _I'm right here,_ Impa's presence said. _I won't go until you ask me to._ _But you need to discover what's in there for yourself_. Zelda turned her attention back to the space. She stepped inside, as if stepping inside a room. Even Impa's presence was gone here. There was nothing and no one but Zelda and the empty space inside of her spirit.

Except that it wasn't empty. It was dark inside, and Zelda found herself wishing that she had a light to guide her. As soon as she wished it, the light appeared. It wound around her and within her, and it sparked somehow with an electric energy. Inside of her, Zelda could see a golden triangle now. Full of light and thunder, she reached out and touched the strange, mythical triangle within her spirit.

Outside, unbeknownst to her, Zelda's body began to glow with a bright light and jolts of electricity leapt off of her like strikes of thunder. Impa's spirit began to retreat, as if sensing the outside physical danger, but, unconsciously, Zelda held her all the tighter. She wasn't ready to let go, not now when they were finally close.

"Sheik!" It was Rauru's voice. But where was it coming from? He wasn't in here. And who was sheik? "Sheik! You must let Impa go! You will hurt her!" But she would never hurt Impa. Impa was a part of her. Impa was the person meant to be her companion. A million lifetimes, a million different relationships and roles, but Impa was always there. "Open your eyes! Princess Zelda, OPEN YOUR EYES!" At the sound of her name, Zelda's eyes opened, and she immediately clung to Impa's body as tightly as she could and screamed.

They were floating a meter high in the air. Wind and light and electricity swirled around their bodies, along with every other element. Fire and water and darkness and earth all swirled around her too, none of which were as strong as the light and thunder that kept them aloft. On the back of Zelda's hand, the Triforce of Wisdom glowed brightly in the early afternoon air.

"Zelda," it was Impa's voice, and it was gentle. "Zelda, look at me. It's okay. Look at me." The princess raised her head from where it was tucked in the crook of Impa's neck and found the sheikah's eyes. Impa smiled. She reached up and touched Zelda's cheek. "See, everything's okay. Just take a deep breath and let us down. I won't let you go."

Zelda nodded and took a deep breath. As her heart rate slowed and her body began to calm down, the light and wind and electricity all died. They drifted down, each element disappearing one at a time, until their feet finally made contact with the ground. All that remained was the light of the Triforce flowing around Zelda, and soon that faded as well.

The princess was shaking. Not caring about the fact that Rauru had said her name, or about who might have seen their display over the fence, or about the fact that her body and Impa's were still pressed together and entangled and what that might look like, Zelda tucked her face in Impa's chest, held on as tightly as she could, and cried.

"You should have told me that she was the princess!" Rauru's angry voice was saying.

"I'm sorry," Impa replied, her hand rubbing Zelda's back. "I didn't know…"

"No, you didn't," Rauru snapped. "Do you think that she didn't know her element yet because no one had bothered to find out?"

"Well…yeah," Impa said.

"Well, you were wrong. They tried when she was young, and the moment that the acolyte got close to the Magical Core of her soul, the Triforce of Wisdom _tore his soul to pieces_. His body died a week later. She is more powerful than any Princess Zelda has been, at least the ones we have on record. You could have been killed!"

"But I wasn't," Impa said. "And now she knows. It'll be better this way."

"You weren't ready for that, Impa, and neither was she. I should tell the king and get you expelled from both her service and his guard. You both could have died."

"No, please, Master, I'm sorry. Look, we're safe. Please don't tell anyone."

Rauru sighed. Zelda could hear him pacing, and she could feel the tension that had crept into Impa's body. Becoming aware of how improperly close they were, Zelda pulled away from Impa. Even as her hands dropped away from the sheikah's waist, the princess regretted letting her go. She wanted to take the sheikah in her arms and hold her there forever. The feeling was so intense that it was frightening, and that fear crept into Zelda's gaze.

Impa saw it and hung her head. "I'm sorry," she whispered, curling her hands into fists at her sides. Zelda realized that Impa must think that the look in her eyes was because she was afraid of what had just happened, but that wasn't true at all.

"No, Impa," she said, stepping forward again. She touched the sheikah's shoulder, but the touch was light and brief. Zelda could still feel the sheikah's presence inside of her, somehow, and even that small of a touch brought on that intense feeling of longing and love. The princess dropped her hand, her body still shaking, unable to handle the connection.

"If you want me to leave your service, I understand," Impa said. She turned her back and picked her naginata up from where she had dropped it. Her knuckles were white as she gripped its shaft in both hands. "I just…I just wanted to give you a gift…I'm sorry…I didn't know."

Zelda swallowed and stepped forward. "No," she said, her voice firm. She stood close to the sheikah and placed both of her hands on Impa's back. The connection was growing fainter now, but Zelda could still feel the intensity of it, along with a little hint of the anguish in Impa's heart. "No," Zelda said again. "Do not be sorry. I am not angry with you, or afraid of you. Please, Impa, look at me."

Impa turned around and looked at Zelda. The princess took both of Impa's hands in her own and smiled. "Rauru will not repeat a word of this," the princess said, loud enough for the Grand Master to hear and understand that her words were a command, not just a statement. "He will say nothing to no one, for if he does I will have him hunted down and locked away in the deepest dungeon for treason to the crown." Her voice was edged in iron and she turned her head to glare at him. Her tears had made the artificial red run out of her eyes, and they were half blue and half red as she met the Grand Master's gaze, with more red running down her cheeks like tears of blood.

Rauru bowed low. "I understand, your highness," he said. "I will not say a word. I—I will leave you alone now." He scampered back into his house, frightened of the promise on the princess's face.

When she turned her eyes back to Impa, they were gentle again. She rubbed her thumbs over the sheikah's knuckles and smiled. "Did you hear what he said?" she whispered.

Impa still looked glum. "That I could have killed you and should be banished for it? Yes, I heard that."

Zelda laughed a little and shook her head. "No. The part where he said that they hadn't been able to get close before. The Triforce of Wisdom tore that man's soul to pieces."

Impa furrowed her brow. "Yes, I heard that. Why do you seem so happy about it?"

"Do you not see?" Zelda whispered, searching Impa's eyes for understanding. Their connection seemed to be seeping out by the moment, leaving them as two people again. It wasn't as easy to tell what Impa was feeling or thinking as it had been just a moment before. "The Triforce accepted you, Impa. It accepted you inside of me and it embraced you, as I did. Look at your body…are you harmed at all?"

Impa looked down at herself. Her clothes weren't even torn. "No…I suppose I'm not harmed."

Zelda nodded. "You were in the middle of all of that with me. You should have been torn to pieces, but it would not hurt you outside or inside. What the legends say…that I am the reincarnation of the goddess Hylia, and you are the companion reborn again and again to be at my side…it is all true. Could you not feel it? The countless lifetimes we have shared? I felt them as if they were all happening at once. It was amazing…"

Impa sighed. She had felt them, all right, and she had also felt every thought and emotion and feeling taking place in Zelda's body. It hadn't been like that at all with Rauru. With Rauru, she had felt his presence long enough to help her find her magical core, and then he was gone entirely. With Zelda, though, when their souls had connected it was like they were one. And when Zelda asked her to stay, Impa couldn't leave. It was as if the princess's desire became hers, and she knew that her desire became Zelda's.

"Yes," Impa whispered, her expression pained. "I felt our lives together. I felt you, age after age, young and old, through war and peace, and all at once it seemed. I've…I've never felt anything like it. I didn't expect for that to happen. Zelda…I know you could feel what was inside me…I'm so—"

Zelda placed her finger on Impa's lips, stopping her. "Shhh," she said, shaking her head. The smile had been wiped from her face. Her expression was serious, sad even, and slightly scared. Impa started to speak again, but Zelda shook her head again. "Please," she whispered. "I am not ready…"

Impa swallowed and nodded. The princess dropped her finger from Impa's lips, and her hand from the sheikah's hand. They stood apart, two people, two souls, unsure how to move forward. Impa _couldn't_ talk about what had happened because the princess asked her not to, and she didn't know how to proceed next. Zelda _wouldn't_ talk about what happened, what she knew Impa felt. She wouldn't talk about it or think about it, not yet at least, because what she found herself wondering as they stood apart as two people was why she s_till felt it_. If Impa's attraction and feelings were one sided, why weren't they gone with the rest of her? The thought of what that could imply was too dangerous, too forbidden. She had to carry on the line of Hylia. She had to love a man. How could she do that if…if…

Suddenly, there was a crashing inside, and they could hear Rauru scream. Impa took her naginata in hand and took off running. Zelda picked up her rapier and followed. They burst through the cracked door. "Master Rauru?!" Impa shouted, her weapon at the ready. "Rauru, where are you?"

They heard coughing in the front parlor and ran there. Inside, Rauru lay on the floor amid the splintered ruins of his coffee table as blood ran onto the ornate rug below him. Impa fell to her knees beside him and started checking his body for the wound. He coughed again, and soon the sheikah found it: a hole in his side where a short metal weapon had jabbed in and cauterized the flesh on its way out—like Volga's dragon spear.

"What happened?" Impa asked, her voice taking on a steel edge.

Rauru coughed again. His face was looking very weak. "Volga…" he whispered. "He—he turned into a…a d-dragon! He was leaving…I thought he was g-going…" Rauru coughed again, and more blood seeped into the floor. "t-to tell the King…I t-t-tried to st-stop him…." He broke down in coughing again.

"Shh," Zelda said, kneeling down at his side as well. "It is okay, we understand. You do not have to finish." Rauru nodded and closed his eyes. Impa's eyes started to water and her hands shake.

"No," she whispered. "Please, he can't die."

Zelda frowned and looked down at her right hand. It was starting to glow of its own accord. Going on a hunch, she reached it over to the master's bleeding side and covered his wound with her hand. Beneath, she could feel his flesh starting to move. The light grew brighter for a moment, and then it faded and died. Zelda pulled her hand away.

Impa peered at the wound—or where the wound had been. "It's gone," she said. She looked up at Zelda, her eyes wide with amazement. "It's gone. You healed him."

"It…it was just a hunch," Zelda whispered.

Between them, Rauru coughed. "A good hunch," he croaked, coming to. "Impa, help me to my chair." The sheikah did so, and when he was sitting, he looked up at Zelda with his eyes narrowed. "It could be that you received your powers now for a reason. There is certainly a reason why they are so strong. And…well, that was the most unusual guiding process I have ever seen." He looked at Impa now, and then back to the princess. "You came into each other's lives for a reason. I can see the bond between you now that you have joined, and I have never seen its comparison in my lifetime. Do not be afraid of the connection you share…something tells me that you will need it."

Impa crouched down in front of the old man and put her hand on his knee. "Master Rauru, did Volga say anything on his way? About where he was going or why he attacked you?"

Rauru squinted his eyes. He was feeling so weak from the blood loss, and his mind felt fuzzy. When it came back to him, and his eyes widened again. He turned his gaze on Impa, his expression full of doom. "He said that I would be the first casualty of many before the night was over. That his partner was already here…."

Zelda touched Impa's arm. "My dream," she murmured. "The shade wears a royal skin…Impa, if they're already here, then…"

Impa's eyes widened. "Then they're in the castle," she finished Zelda's thought and leapt to her feet. "We have to go. Now."

Zelda stood as well, but stopped and looked at Master Rauru. "Are you sure we should—"

"Go," Rauru cut her off. "I am fine, thanks to you. Just take this baton with you and go." He held out the baton that Zelda had left behind with him. The princess took it, with her thanks, and then she and Impa ran out the front door to their waiting horses.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

**Author's Notes:** Hello everyone. A long chapter that has been a long time in coming. I had to edit the previous six chapters before I would be ready to post the new one, and I wanted to get some writing done on Stasis.

Anyway, this was also a varied and…charged…chapter, if you know what I mean. I hope you enjoyed it!

Thank you for reading and please review!

~The Wolfess

****If you enjoy my writing, please check out my major work, the Doppelganger Trilogy. You can find books 1 and 2 completed on my profile.****


	8. Chapter 8

*****ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY****

!

**In Sotto Voce**

_By The Wolfess_

_!_

**Chapter 8**

Impa and Zelda approached the castle gate at a full gallop. It was only early afternoon, but they found the gate closed and barred. Zelda had put on the cloak again, knowing it would be awkward to show up in full sheikah garb, and they pulled their horses up short right at the gate. "Hey!" Impa shouted, her voice full of command as it boomed into the air and echoed off of the walls. "Open the gate for the Princess of Hyrule!"

A helmeted head poked out of one of the crenels. The soldier blinked for a moment, and then he jumped as he realized who was speaking. "Captain Impa!" said the solider, holding his hand over his eyes. "Sorry, but no can do until we get word from his Majesty. King's orders."

Zelda pulled the hood back. Luckily she had taken off the head wraps when she put the cloak on, and her tears from earlier had washed most of the red color away. From this distance, he wouldn't be able to see the slight tint still left over. "Open the gates, soldier, on order of the Princess of Hyrule."

"Your Highness? It really is you?" He laughed and his head disappeared. Soon, they heard the clanking of chains and the gate lowered over the moat. Impa and Zelda passed inside. The gate rose almost immediately behind them, and a few soldiers poked their heads out to watch them pass.

Zelda frowned. "This is unusual behavior," the princess said.

Impa nodded her agreement. "Something must be going on. Let's get you changed and in the throne room as soon as possible." They dropped the horses off by the stables and Impa took Zelda through the hidden servant's passageway to get back to their room. Impa helped Zelda flush the rest of the eye coloring away and change back into her green corset from earlier. It was a little rumpled from being in the satchel, but it would be passable. They hurried out of the room and were heading toward the corridor when they turned a corner and ran straight into Link.

"Hey, woah!" Impa reached out a hand and steadied the young blond. He had been running full tilt and stumbled backward when he ran into Impa. "Link, what's the hurry?"

Link was breathing hard. "I was coming to get you before anyone else did," he panted. He took a deep breath to steady himself and then looked around. "Can we go somewhere?"

Zelda nodded. "Follow me," she said. The princess led them through a couple corridors and then pushed aside a statue. There was a doorway behind it that led to a circular room with a small window for light. They went inside and the princess closed it behind them. Impa gave her a funny look. Not even she had known about this hiding spot, and that was strange. Didn't Elder Kishla know about all of the hiding spots? "The Zeldas have passed the secret of this place from princess to princess," she explained. "In a notebook. But that is not what is important now. Link, what is going on?"

Link looked from one woman to the other. "Princess Ruto has been thrown in the dungeon."

"WHAT?!"

"NO!"

Link nodded. "Yes, I'm afraid so."

"What happened?" Zelda asked.

"Ruto can be a pain, but she has done nothing to be thrown in the dungeon," Impa said.

Link sighed. "Unfortunately, she has. At least, they say that she has. Look, I wasn't there but this is what the soldiers are saying in the barracks. They say Ruto attacked the King."

Zelda's brow furrowed. "No," she said again, shaking her head. "That can't be."

Link shrugged. "The story I got is that the King was having lunch and invited Ruto and Princess Zelda to join him. Only, Zelda wasn't here and only Ruto went. Something happened in there, no one knows what because there were no guards, and suddenly the guards outside heard a struggle and the King started shouting for help. When they got inside the room, Ruto was using water magic and the king was locked in a globe of water up to his neck. It was about to cover his face when the guards knocked her out."

Impa and Zelda were looking more and more confused. None of this sounded like the Ruto they knew. Link continued his story. "They took her to the tower cell at first, the nice one reserved for highly ranked prisoners, you know? But then when they couldn't find you or the princess anywhere, they assumed that you and Ruto were in league with her and started a search. They took Ruto down to the dungeons, and now that you're back they're going to come for you. I asked that gate guard to tell me the moment you came back, if you came back, so I could come find you first. He owed me one, so here I am."

Impa and Zelda looked at each other and then back to Link. "This does not sound like the Ruto we know at all," Impa said, frowning. She had her naginata in hand, and she twirled it around as she thought.

"Remember the prophecy?" Zelda said, looking at Impa. "A shade in royal skin. Ruto is a royal. Perhaps it's NOT the Ruto that we know."

Impa nodded. "Volga's attack…now this…maybe he and Ruto are working together. They're both new in town. Maybe they're in league."

"Who's Volga?" Link asked.

Impa frowned. "Volga is a big problem," she said. "A big problem with an army behind him I think." She looked at the princess and then back at her friend. "Thanks for warning us, Link, but we need to go straight to the throne room. No matter the consequences, King Daphnes has to be warned."

Link sighed. "Okay, but I'm coming with you. I can vouch for you if they try to take you, or something."

Impa shook her head. "It will not be necessary." Link got that stubborn look on his face that Impa recognized, and she knew there would be no stopping him. "Fine, but you're still just a trainee. Stay out of the way, for your own good."

Zelda opened the statue just enough to peer out. Satisfied that no one was around, she opened it the rest of the way and closed it after Link and Impa exited. "Both of you stay behind me," she said as they were walking down the corridor toward the throne room. "If I am at the head of this and say it was my idea to leave, then I can avert his anger."

The moment the guards on either side of the throne room doors saw the princess approaching, Link and Impa flanking her, they scurried to open the doors before she reached them. Zelda was so focused she didn't even acknowledge that they were there as she strode past them, her heals clicking on the tiled floors. Once the three were inside, the guards closed the great doors behind them.

"Father," Zelda said, her voice harsh as it rung through the great hall. "I hear news that troubles me."

The king was sitting on his throne looking tired and angry. His body was slumped over, as if the weight of it was exhausting, and his face was in his palm, his elbow on the arm of the throne. At the sound of her voice, his head snapped up. The first expression on his face was surprise, and then relief, and then anger. It was like watching a geyser rev up to blow. "Where have you BEEN?" his voice got louder with each word. Impa and Link cringed a little, but Zelda stood as solid and impassive as stone. "I have been worried sick! First the attempt on my life, then I find out you are gone too?! You are all I have Zelda—all this country has! You cannot go running off like this! What if she had attacked you instead, huh? What then, Zelda!"

"Impa would have protected me, father," Zelda said, her voice even and calm. "That is why you appointed her. I was perfectly safe."

"How do I know that Impa didn't take you herself, against your will?" the king growled, his eyes narrowing at the sheikah. It was as if he had completely, and conveniently, forgotten that he had told her to do just that.

"Now you are making up fantasies that are not true, father," Zelda said, sounding tired. "It is time to move past this. There are much more important matters than my safety going on, such as Princess Ruto." King Daphnes sighed, suddenly looking a lot older and grayer than he was. Zelda continued, oblivious to his reluctance to move on. "Father, she is royalty. If you keep Princess Ruto in the dungeon, our alliance with King Zora will be at stake. Really, father, I expected better decisions from you."

"She attacked me," King Daphnes said, "and at the time there was suspicion that she had taken you. I needed her somewhere more secure than the tower."

"Well, I am safe, as you can see, and now we need to talk to her. This has to be a misunderstanding. The Ruto I have come to know would never attack you."

The king shook his head. "No, there will be no talking to her. She stays in the dungeon, and that is final."

"But father, if we keep her there then we risk being attacked by the Zora Kingdom," Zelda said, becoming suddenly earnest. "We cannot afford to lose their alliance, especially now that we have an army on the way."

King Daphnes sat up in his chair. "An army? What do you mean? I have no reports of this army."

"There was an attack on Grand Master Rauru in town today," Princess Zelda said. "The attacker was a powerful fire-wielder named Volga, called the Dragon Knight. He left Master Rauru for dead. Luckily, Impa and I happened upon him and were able to save his life. Master Rauru informed us that on his way out, Volga said that Rauru would be the first casualty of many before the end of the night."

The King stood up, his face growing stern. "If what you say is true, it is more important now than ever that we keep Princess Ruto locked up. It is no coincidence that her attack on my person and this Volga's attack happened on the same day. General Iroh!" His voice boomed in the chamber.

The man in question emerged from the great doors and bowed. "Yes, your Highness?"

"We have reason to believe that an army is approaching. Send out our scouts—we need to know where they are, how many they are, who leads them, and when they will be here. Also, get our own men ready." He glanced down at Impa, standing at Zelda's right hand, and then back at the general. "Take Captain Impa with you."

Zelda'a brow furrowed and her fists clenched. "What? No! Father, she stays with me! It has always been this way!

King Daphnes frowned. "Compose yourself," he said, his voice disapproving and grave. "I have reason to suspect her, and I will not have her by your side—and my own—when the battle starts."

"Father, you are being ridiculous," Zelda said. She was trying to compose herself, but it was obvious that she was still distressed. "Impa did nothing to cause your suspicion, she has been with me."

"This young man beside you, the trainee," King Daphnes said. "Do you trust him?"

Zelda blinked. She glanced at Link, who was standing on her left. "Link? Yes, but—"

"Fine," the king cut her off. "He will guard you while your precious Captain Impa is on the battlefield." He turned his gaze on Impa, and the sheikah thought she saw a funny look in his eyes. It passed so quickly, though, she couldn't be sure what it was. "Impa, you will ready yourself at once. I want you on the front lines."

Zelda's mouth fell open. She felt like her heart was going to stop beating. "No," she said, her voice meek. "Father, no! The front line? How could you?"

King Daphnes smiled a bit. "If the sheikah is worthy of protecting you, then she will live," he said. The princess's eyes widened, tears welling up in their cerulean depths. The king waved his hand. "Remove them from my presence," he said, "and convene my war council. We have precious little time to prepare."

Two guards grabbed Zelda's arms and started dragging her toward the door. "Don't touch her," Impa growled. She grabbed the one nearest to her and tore him off, shoving him away from the princess. He clattered to the floor. The other released Zelda before the sheikah could touch him. Impa placed her hand on the small of Zelda's back. "Come on, Princess," she said, her voice soft.

They left the throne room together, and none of them spoke until they were well away it. "What do we do?" Link said, looking from the princess to the sheikah and back. They were standing just outside Zelda's room. "You guys have a plan, right?"

"Not out here," Impa said. She opened the door to Zelda's room and they went inside. Once the door was closed, Zelda shook her head and raised her hand to cover her mouth. She leaned back against it. Tears were trembling in her eyes and her body was starting to shake. She looked like she was going to be sick.

"There isn't anything we can do," Impa said once they were inside, rubbing the princess's back. "It's the way Hyrulian warfare works. The king and the princess will be in the Castle Keep surrounded by the strongest in the army. Zelda's personal guard is supposed to be right there, at her side. If King Daphnes expects to see you at her side, instead of me, then there is no way for me to be there."

Link swallowed. "But…but surely we can put you nearby, right? Just in case?"

Again, Impa shook her head. "The Top General was right there listening. He will make sure I am where the king wants me."

"Oh goddesses," Zelda breathed, the sound half a sob. "This cannot be happening."

Link looked desperate. "W-well," he stammered, searching for something, anything to give the princess hope. "So, you're on the front lines. Okay, what's so bad about that? You'll be leading the charge. They'll never get past you, so there's no chance for Princess Zelda to come even close to harm. There's nothing to worry about."

Zelda shook her head again. "You do not understand," she said, a tear escaping her eye and rolling down her cheek. "It is not for my own safety that I fear." She raised her eyes to look at Impa's face. She wanted to take the sheikah by the hand and hold her close, as they had at Rauru's cottage, to keep her safe. "In basic battle strategy," she explained to Link while still looking at Impa, "it is known that the soldiers sent to the front lines are very likely to die. Usually, volunteers are taken for the front line for this reason. So when a monarch or general sends someone to the front line specifically, they are sending them to die."

Link's eyes widened. "No," he said. He looked between them again, as if searching for answers. "No. I don't understand, King Daphnes, why would he…."

Zelda shook her head, staring to calm herself down. "I do not know why," she said, "but the reason does not change the reality of the situation. My father is sending Impa to die."

Link balled his hands into fists. "This can't happen. We can't allow it. Princess!" he spun to face Zelda, determination of his features. "Send me, princess! Keep Impa with you and send me!"

Impa placed her hand on Link's shoulder. "We can't, Link," she said. "I have to go." She looked at Zelda now, her eyes sad and tender. "It'll be okay, Zelda, I promise. I will have my naginata with me. You saw me fight Volga today, they won't even touch me."

Zelda balled her hands into fists, starting to look angry now. "That was one foe, and only in practice," she growled. She pushed off the door and started pacing in the room. "They will have monsters with them, Impa, I have seen it! The song in the shadows is silenced…the prophecy…goddesses. I did not know what it meant! How could I have not seen that you were the song…."

Impa turned to Link. "Will you let us have a moment?" she whispered. "Go see about what the scouts find and report back to me. I doubt that it will be long before they are close." Link nodded and left the room.

Impa locked the door behind him and turned back to the pacing princess. She sat on the edge of Zelda's bed and watched. "There has to be something," Zelda thought out loud. "Perhaps we can just defy him. I will keep you close by anyway, and my father's orders be damned. He cannot send you to die, not without trial and just cause, and not when I—when I care so deeply for you."

"Yes he can," Impa said. "He is the king, and technically this isn't a death sentence."

Zelda rounded on Impa. "Yes it is!" she shouted, but her anger wasn't directed at the sheikah. Just as suddenly as the anger came, it faded, leaving sorrow in its wake. "It might as well be a death sentence. Please, Impa, do not go. Stay here. If they throw you in the dungeon, I will get you out. At least you will be alive."

Impa shook her head and stood up. "I can't, Zelda," she said. She crossed the room to the princess and placed her hands on Zelda's upper arms. She rubbed the princess's soft skin under her hands. "I am an honorable warrior. I cannot run from a fight."

Tears welled up in Zelda's eyes again. "But you will die, Impa. The prophecy says so. Please, for me?"

The sheikah shook her head and put on a forced smile. "Come on, have more faith in me. You wound my pride."

"Curse your damnable pride," Zelda said, but she laughed, despite herself.

"There's that smile," Impa said. "Now, I think that we will have a couple hours at least until we need to line up. What do you want to do with our time?"

Zelda sighed and stepped into Impa, wrapping her arms around the sheikah. Impa held the princess in return. They both closed their eyes and stood wrapped in each other's arms. There wasn't enough time to ask why it was happening or to be worried about the ramifications of her feelings anymore, Zelda thought, not when Impa was going to die that night anyway. If these would be their last moments together, then the princess wanted to remember them.

Zelda let go of Impa and took her hand. She pulled her over to the closet and turned around, pulling her hair to the side. Impa knew this to mean that she wanted the sheikah to unlace her corset again, so she did so. Once it was off, Impa stepped outside to wait.

It wasn't long before Zelda emerged, dressed in just her nightgown. Impa furrowed her brow. "Zelda, what are you doing?" she asked. The princess didn't respond, though. She just circled around and started picking at Impa's armor. It wasn't long before she had the straps undone and stripped the pieces of metal off, dropping them on the floor. Impa swallowed, her breathing shallow and her heart beating fast as the princess unhooked the straps that held Impa's breastplate in place and dropped that to the ground as well.

Zelda hooked her fingers under the one arm of Impa's blue suit, and she slid it off of her shoulder. The fabric flopped down around the sheikah's waist and hung there, loose and forgotten. The princess bit her lip and turned Impa around, her eyes raking up and down her body without a hint of shyness. They lingered on Impa's toned abs, and Zelda reached out and trailed a single finger from the top of her abs down to her navel.

Impa reached out and grabbed Zelda's hand, gentle but firm. "Please," she whispered, her expression pained. "You…you don't know…what this does to me. Please stop."

Zelda shifted her hand in Impa's grip, lacing her fingers with the sheikah's. Without saying a word, she led them over to the large bed and sat down. She pulled Impa down beside her, and then held the sheikah's hand in both of her own as they sat in silence. "I do know," Zelda finally said. "I just did not have the concepts to understand it or the words to explain it until I read Ruto's book. Even then, I knew how you felt, but I did not see the same feelings in myself. I did not want to see them. I was so afraid of what that might mean…but today, in the courtyard, when I felt your spirit inside me…I knew, in that moment, _exactly_ how you feel. And I feel the same way."

Zelda reached over and trailed her hands down Impa's arms, peeling off the sheikah's gauntlets in the process. Then her fingers continued back up the sheikah's bare sides, and finally to her abs again. "I have wanted to touch you for weeks now," she whispered, her thumbs tracing the outline of Impa's toned muscles. "Like this. Just you and me. I was too afraid and it was so improper…but it does not matter now, what we do or do not do, does it? You will be dead in the morning—" her voice hitched, and the pain and sorrow lying just underneath her actions surfaced. Tears slipped into her words and trembled I her eyes again. "You will be dead," Zelda repeated, "and all I will have is the memory of these last moments to carry me through the rest of my days. So I—I want…"

Impa pulled Zelda into her arms and held her close. Skin pressed to skin, nightgown to wraps, the two women just sat and breathed together. Eventually Zelda's eyes started to drift closed, and Impa eased the princess down onto her bed. Settling down behind her, the sheikah slid up behind the princess and spooned with her. Zelda turned around, though, and nestled herself into the sheikah's chest instead. Impa draped her arm over Zelda's bare shoulders and rubbed slowly, up and down, as her own eyes drooped. Soon her hand stilled, and they were both asleep in one another's arms.

They were awoken by a knock on the door. "Impa, Zelda," it was Link's voice, muffled on the other side of the door. "There is no word from the scouts. They didn't return. The generals are assuming the worst. They want us to line up now."

Impa and Zelda sat up, blinking the sleep from their eyes. "We'll be right there," Impa called. "Just wait for us outside. It'll only be a moment."

"Okay," Link said.

Zelda frowned. "Our last moments together, and we spend them sleeping," she said. She laughed at the absurdity of it.

Impa smiled. She reached out and took Zelda's hand on the bed between them. "Still, it was lovely," she whispered. "I enjoyed holding you."

The princess blushed, obviously not accustomed to that kind of intimacy. "This is the first time I have ever been attracted to anyone," Zelda whispered, "let alone touched someone…like this."

Impa nodded. She had thought as much. "Did you…enjoy it?" she asked. Her thumb was rubbing the back of Zelda's hand absently.

Zelda nodded. She scooted closer to Impa and leaned in, knowing the sheikah would wrap her arms around her again. Impa obliged. "Very much," Zelda whispered. "I do not want it to end."

Impa rested her chin atop the princess's head. "I know," she said. "Neither do I. But it has to…Link is waiting."

Zelda nodded. She pulled away, trying not to cry again. She wanted to be strong. There was still that small chance that Impa would live, after all, right? It would be okay. The princess stood up from the bed and crossed to where Impa's clothes lay scattered about the room. She picked up the breast plate and smiled. "Would you like some help getting dressed?" the princess grinned.

Impa laughed and stood up. "I am not the only woman who needs to get dressed, you know," she said, taking the piece or armor from Zelda's hands. "How about we both get dressed and meet here when we are done."

Zelda pouted. "Oh, fine, be that way," she said. She spun on her heal and stalked into her closet. The sheikah sighed and shook her head, laughing a little. The princess was trying her hardest to lighten the mood and put on a brave face, and Impa would let her.

She got her clothes and armor on pretty quickly. Her sheikah naginata was leaning by the door, so she left it there when she was done and walked toward the closet. "Zelda?" she called. "Do you need help?"

Zelda's battle dress laced up the front, so the princess had managed to successfully get it on, as well as her dark fingerless gloves and leggings. She was trying to hook the golden metal greaves into place over her shins, but she was having trouble. "Here, let me do it," Impa said. She kneeled at the princess's feet and took the armor from her.

Putting her hand on the back of Zelda's thigh, she lifted the leg and put the greave in place. Impa then shifted Zelda's leg until it was resting on her shoulder so that she could have both hands free to tie the straps in place. The whole time she tied, trailing the tips of her fingers along the back of Zelda's thigh as she went from strap to strap, the princess was watching her work. When the first leg was done, Impa did the same with the second, and the princess's eyes never left her.

When she had finished with Zelda's greaves and shoes, Impa stood and helped Zelda stand as well. She picked up the plates of armor that fastened to the princess's hips and walked over to her. The armor went behind Zelda and clipped to a short banner attached to the dress in the front. Impa was looking downward, adjusting the armor on Zelda's hips and fastening it in place, when Zelda hooked her finger under Impa's chin and tilted her head up.

They were almost the same height, especially with the heels Zelda was wearing, so when Impa's head was raised they were looking each other in the eye. Their noses were almost touching, and their breath mingled between them in the air. Impa licked her lips and blushed a little, her heart suddenly beating faster. "Zelda, I…" she started, but was suddenly cut off by Zelda's lips.

The kiss was clumsy and quick. The princess had never kissed anyone before. She had barely even seen anyone kiss either, but she had read books. So she gave Impa a quick peck on the lips and then stepped back, blushing a bright shade of red and biting her lower lip. The sheikah blinked. Once her brain registered what had just happened, she reached her hand up to touch her lips, and a smile spread on her face.

Without hesitation, Impa stepped forward and scooped Zelda into her arms. Her hands snaked around the princess's waist, and Zelda found herself placing her arms on either side of Impa's head. The sheikah leaned in and brushed her lips against Zelda's, ever so gently. The princess's lips parted, just as Impa had expected, and she leaned in to her protector, her breath coming in short, quick bursts. Impa's hands snaked up Zelda's back and held her close.

Their lips pressed together. Impa led the kiss this time. It was slow and deep at first, explorative. When the sheikah felt the princess's hands run down her back and up into her hair, though, it quickened. The kiss grew desperate and passionate. Both women knew that it would most likely be their first and their last, and that when it was over they would have to move on from this moment. They didn't want it to end.

Eventually, however, someone had to breathe. They pulled apart, breathing heavily, and Impa leaned her forehead against Zelda's. Her hands were resting on the princess's hips, and Zelda's fingers were twirling the little wispy hairs that had escaped Impa's bun at the base of her neck. The princess's eyes were closed and she was smiling. The sheikah just watched her for a moment, admiring how beautiful she was.

"Zelda?" she whispered.

"Hm?" the princess answered, not opening her eyes.

"I'm in love with you, Zelda," Impa said.

The princess's eyes flashed open. She blinked a little as the confession sunk in, along with where they were and what was happening. "You tell me that now?" she said, her expression unreadable. Impa didn't respond, confused by the princess's sudden change. Sorrow and anger were coming into Zelda's features, but she quickly banished the tears that wanted to form. She had done some quick makeup, and she needed to look good for the troops. "All this time we have been together, all you have done to keep me from finding out how you felt, and how _I _felt, and now…on the eve of a battle where you will most likely die…NOW you kiss me? Now you tell me that _you are in love with me?_ _WHY _could you not have said this earlier and saved me the heartache of finding and losing love on the same day?!"

The princess was keeping her volume as low as she could, but it did nothing to soften her tone. She spun away from Impa and put the rest of her armor on herself. Slipping her new rapier into a holder on her hip, the princess started to walk toward the door, but Impa reached out and took her hand.

"Zelda, please," whispered the sheikah, her heart breaking in her chest. "Don't end it this way. Please."

Tears did come to Zelda's eyes now. Her body was half turned to the sheikah. She raised her hand and cupped Impa's chin, and the silver-haired woman was not sure whether her princess wanted to slap her or kiss her. Zelda chose to kiss her, and her lips crushed against Impa's with a kind of violence born when frustration and attraction meet. When she pulled away, her expression was still angry, but Impa knew that they were okay. "I will not say it back," Zelda whispered, her voice a hair away from being a sob. "If you make it out of this alive, maybe I will say it then. Take that as…motivation."

Impa nodded, tears in her eyes. "I will, Zelda," she said. She reached over and picked up her Sheikah Naginata from where it was leaning against the doorjamb. "I will live. You'll see. It's not so easy to kill me."

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

**Author's Notes:** Hello readers! Finally, the big kiss you have all been waiting for. I hope that it was well worth the wait! ;) The next chapter is a battle chapter, and promises to be surprising. I hope that you will all stick around for it.

Thank you for reading, and please, please, PLEASE review!

~The Wolfess

****If you enjoy my writing, please check out my major work, the Doppelganger Trilogy. You can find books 1 and 2 completed on my profile.****


	9. Chapter 9

*****ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY****

!

**In Sotto Voce**

_By The Wolfess_

_!_

**Chapter 9**

The sun held its dominion in the sky longer than normal. The short days of spring were tilting into the long, warm days of summer, and it seemed that the goddesses would bless the Hyrulian army with extra light on this dark day. The soldiers took this as a good sign. To those assigned to the front lines, the air seemed especially crisp and fragrant, the birdsong especially sweet. Some of the more experienced men, who knew what the front liners were going to face, gave them extra rations and tips for survival as they passed. Others wished them well, or said a prayer, or just shook their heads and looked away.

In the Castle Keep, King Daphnes sat on a large black war horse covered in golden, bejeweled armor that shone in the early evening sun. With his great beard and broad shoulders, he was a sight to behold, the picture of royal authority and power. Around him, the Hyrulian Generals and Captains were finishing their last brief and the soldiers assigned to the Castle Keep were moving into position. Carrion birds were starting to circle in the distance—a sign that the enemy army was almost upon them.

Princess Zelda approached the keep on foot. Unlike her father, she preferred to stand on the ground with the men rather than above them on horseback. She glimmered and shone as well, and all eyes followed her as she passed. The soldiers stood taller, and those going to the front lines felt a little braver. She was a reminder that the soldiers of Hyrule were not dying for her father, not even for Hyrule itself. She was their reason. They were dying for their Zelda, their true heir and queen, as had been their way for generation upon generation. She looked upon them with all the grace and love of her station, even reaching out to some of those headed to the front lines to allow them to touch her hand and receive her blessing as they passed.

Impa walked behind her princess silently, watching. If Ruto had been among them for so long, who else could be hiding amongst their ranks she wondered? Every soldier received her suspicious glare. She was relieved when they finally reached the Castle Keep. The sheikah felt she could be sure that Zelda was safe here. As safe as possible at least.

Link rode up to her on a horse that belonged to him, a beautiful chestnut mare named Epona that had been his last gift from his uncle before he died. He had his sword and shield strapped on and looked as ready as ever for the battle.

The trainee dismounted when he got near to the sheikah and the princess. "Impa," he said, pulling her into a tight hug. "Please be careful."

Impa blinked and then laughed and patted his back. "I will," she said. "Come on, you're embarrassing me. You've trained with me—have more confidence in my skill. I'm going to be fine."

Link let her go and nodded. "Okay," he said. "You're right. I'm sorry. I'm just…" he sighed and shook his head. "You should be back here, with her, and I should be up there. You're more skilled than me. You should be protecting her."

Impa shook her head. "Well, that's not what's happening, so no use wishing for it to be different," she said. "I, for one, will have more peace of mind knowing that you are at her side. I would trust no one else with her protection. I mean that."

Link nodded and smiled, swelling with pride. "That means a lot to me," he said. "You know that I will protect her with my life."

Impa smiled. "I know. And Link…" she lowered her voice and stepped a little closer, trying to make sure only he would hear. "If I do die out there, like the prophecy says…keep her safe for me. Make sure you are the one who guards her, for the rest of her life, on my behalf. Okay?"

Link nodded, his expression grave, but he didn't say anything. He looked over at Zelda and frowned, then stepped back and guided Epona away. The princess and her guardian would want a moment to themselves.

The princess was talking to one of the generals when Impa approached. She excused herself from the conversation and stepped to the side with her sheikah. They stood apart and did not touch, knowing that all eyes were upon them. The whole army had heard of the situation by now and more than a few eyes watched, curious and ready to gossip later, from every corner. "I need to go to the front," Impa said. Her eyes pierced Zelda's, trying to hold her with her gaze.

Zelda nodded, her face as impassive and stone-like as possible. "I understand," she said. "Impa, I….please take care of yourself."

Impa nodded. Knowing that she couldn't touch her, the sheikah bit her lip and went down on one knee. She fisted a hand over her heart and held the other out, palm up—exactly as she had the first day that they met. Tears did swell in Zelda's eyes then, shimmering there like waves of glass, but she controlled herself and placed her hand in Impa's. The sheikah raised herself up just enough to kiss Zelda's fingers, where the littlest bit of skin shone beneath her gloves and armor. Impa's lips lingered there as long as she dared, until Zelda withdrew her hand and the moment was over.

Impa stood again and gripped her naginata a little tighter. The two women looked at one another without speaking for a long time. Finally the general commanding the front line troops called her name and she knew that it was time to go. "Goodbye, Princess Zelda." _I love you_. The words were implied, even if they could not be spoken.

The princess nodded, but she could not keep the emotion out of her voice when she spoke. "Goodbye, Captain Impa. Thank you…for everything."

Impa turned and followed the general toward the front. Link brought Epona alongside Zelda and they watched her go. Neither of them knew the manner in which they would see her next—one of many bodies on the battlefield, or wounded on a medical stretcher, or even victorious and coming shrouded in battle glory. Her fate would be decided that night, along with the fates of hundreds of other soldiers, before the first red light of dawn broke in the eastern sky. Link and Zelda both said their own private prayers and settled in to wait.

!

The enemy army approached from the north in a cloud of dark magic. On the front lines just north of the central keep, Impa could see the red of the enemy's eyes in the distance as they spread through the northern part of Hyrule Field. Red and green-faced bokoblins mingled with skeletal stalfos, towering Lizalfos, and a couple Darknut Captains. Initial reports showed that they had made their base in the northern-most keep, and their general waited there for the right time to advance. The reports described him as a man in a suit of red dragon-like armor with a great dragon's head helm. As soon as she overhead the description, the sheikah captain knew exactly who it was.

Hyrulian troops were stationed in the central and southern keeps, with orders to advance to the two abandoned forts and the eastern keep. Impa's unit was to advance to the north-central keep and fend off the enemy attack until the other keeps could be captured. The fairy fountain would be near the troops stationed back in the southern keep just in case they needed the aid, but the generals hoped that the battle wouldn't come to that.

General Xao was in charge of the front lines. He nodded his head when the scout's report came. Before he could send the man back with the message, Impa shouted to catch his attention.

"Yes, Captain Impa?" he asked. Xao knew Impa from training, and he knew that she was no traitor. He had already made it clear that he would depend on her leadership and power in the battle.

"I know who their captain is," Impa told him. "His name is Volga, and he calls himself the Dragon Knight. He is a fire-wielder who studied under the same master as I did. He is strong, but he knows no defensive maneuvers and is overconfident, so he can be taken down easily."

General Xao nodded. "I will leave him to you since you seem to know of him," he turned to the messenger. "Include that information in your report."

"Yes Sir!" The messenger saluted and ran off.

General Xao looked ahead and his eyes darkened. He was an older man with salt-and-peppered black hair and a well-kept beard in a full suit of Hyrulian armor. It was time to advance, but he held back for just a moment. "Captain Impa," he said, not turning his helm to look at her.

"Yes Sir?" she asked.

"Do you know why they sent me up here?" he asked. His hands gripped the hilt of his old sword in its sheath on his hip.

Impa frowned and shook her head. This wasn't the time for such talk, but if he needed to say it before they advanced then she would let him. "No Sir, I don't."

General Xao drew his sword and hefted his large shield. "They sent me here because I spoke up against the king's sudden change in policies and irrational behavior." He turned his head, and through the slit in his helm Impa could see his eyes, brown, full of determination and fear. "He shouldn't have locked up the Zora princess, and he shouldn't have sent you up here. He has been full of such irrational and harmful policies of late. This is why he stopped speaking to the princess about matters of importance and forbad us to speak with her either—she is too wise, and he knew she would poke holes through his schemes."

Impa frowned. "Why tell me this now?" she asked, her grip tightening on the shaft of her naginata. "Now, when we are about to engage in battle and there is nothing I can do about it?"

"Because," General Xao said, "I want you to understand why I am about to defy the orders of my king. I want to be remembered honorably." Impa swallowed and nodded, awaiting his orders. "The king plans to advance into the central field, in open battle, despite all of our recommendations not to. He and the princess will be exposed to great harm. This is where you come in. We will cut a path for you to get to Volga. After you take him down, I want you to retreat back to the princess's side. Protect her, Impa. Protect her in my place."

Impa nodded. "I will, Sir."

General Xao grunted his acknowledgment and then stepped to the front of the lines. A Darknut Captain with his whole battalion was filing into the north-central keep above them, and another was already capturing the Eastern Abandoned Fort just to their right. The general raised his sword in the air. "FORWARD MARCH," he shouted. The men on the front lines drew their weapons and started shouting. "FOR HYRULE!"

"FOR HYRULE!" The cry rang into the air at the same time and the front line troops started running forward. They filtered into the two keeps and crashed into their foes, swords and arrows and spears flying. Impa could hear dying screams from both sides, and blood ran red on the stone floors. Impa hung back for a moment to take stock. General Xao had advanced into the North Central Keep and was leading the battle in there, so Impa ran to the east to support the troops taking the East Abandoned Fort.

When she got there, a Darknut Captain and a Lizalfos were in the middle of the keep. One swipe of the Darknut's sword or the Lizalfos' spiked tail sent their hylian soldiers flying. Impa knew that she had to reach Volga as soon as possible, but if she left the soldiers to fend for themselves then the keep would be lost. She couldn't give the enemy that direct line to their central field if that is where Zelda was going to be.

"HEY" she shouted at the raid captain trying to take the keep. He looked at her briefly and nodded to show he was listening as he continued fighting the bokoblins surrounding him. "You focus on the Lizalfos, I'll take big ugly here!" Again, the raid captain nodded, and he and his men shifted the focus of their attacks on just the giant lizard.

Impa crouched into a battle stance and approached the Darknut. The armored giant turned his head toward her, the metal of his helm scraping against his shoulder armor. Their eyes met for just a moment. Impa grinned and beckoned him forward with her upper hand.

The Darknut took the bait. He launched into a running charge, leading with his armored elbow intent on smashing Impa's head in, but the sheikah was too nimble. She leapt out of the way and spun around him, slashing at the armor on his back with her naginata. She caught some of the cloth chords that bound the armor together, and a single piece on his hip fell to the ground. He jumped back and swung his sword, his attention fully focused on her now.

Impa dodged his next attack as well, and got another piece of armor off as a reward. As they played this game of chicken, however, Impa was also focusing on the battle around her. _She_ might be winning, but their army was not. Right and left, the Hyrulian soldiers were falling. The raid captain she had spoken to took a spiked ball in the face and died instantly. His body lay bleeding by the northern wall of the keep. Around his corpse were multiple other corpses, most of them clad in Hyrulian blue. Around her, Impa could sense the enemy bokoblins closing in. One brave soldier was holding the Lizalfos's attention, but Impa knew that he wouldn't last long. There was nothing she could do to help him—she only prayed he could hold on long enough for her to get a straight shot at this Darknut's weak point.

Unfortunately, Impa was not so lucky. The soldier screamed as he fell, the arm that used to be attached to his body falling two feet away from where he was bleeding out. The Lizalfos turned his attention on Impa, approaching her from the side. The Darknut still hadn't lost his breastplate yet, and he didn't seem to respond much to the chunks of flesh she had already taken out of his arms and legs. Such was the problem with fighting magical creatures.

She was the last Hyrulian soldier standing in the East Abandoned Fort. Reinforcements had not yet arrived, and she knew that she had to hold the keep until they could get to her. There was no one alive to hurt now, so Impa knew exactly what to do. Gritting her teeth, she summoned a wave of fire around her. It swirled up and down the length of her Sheikah Naginata, its heat rising by the moment. At the peak of its heat and size, when she wasn't sure she could control it any longer, the sheikah leapt into the air and swung the naginata around her body. Fire spread outward in waves, sending bokoblins and Lizalfos alike flying. They crashed into the walls and started screaming as the blaze rose around them and seared their flesh. Most of the Bokoblins fell right there, their corpses stinking of charred flesh. Even the Lizalfos tried to run, but it couldn't get out of the circle of flame that had surrounded them. It hissed in pain and anger, a thread away from death but not defeated.

The fire burned away the last of the chords securing Darknut's armor, and the pieces dropped to the ground. Seeing her chance, Impa let the flame fly away from her and darted forward. Her naginata came down in an overhead slice and chopped right through the monster's shoulder and chest. He blinked for a moment. His sword fell to the ground, clattering on the stones at about the same time as the two halves of his torso separated and his corpse fell to join the others.

Impa panted and looked about. Only the Lizalfos was left standing in the keep. All the rest—every Hyrulian and enemy force that had entered the keep, lay dead and burning on the ground. Ahead of her, enemy forces were running by. Some noticed her and ran down to engage her. Impa started to brace herself, but just then the Hyrulian reinforcements arrived.

"Sorry we're late!" shouted the raid captain as he ran over to the stumbling Lizalfos and put it out of its misery.

"That's okay," Impa shouted back. She gestured around her. "It's probably better that you weren't here yet."

He nodded his agreement. The rest of his battalion was filing in behind him. "We can hold this keep now. You go do what you have to."

"My thanks," Impa said. She didn't waste her time. She ran out of the keep's northern door. Enemy forces filled the northern field, but Hyrulian forces were pouring out of the north-central keep and the path by the Goron Mine on the far northwest side of the field. The enemy forces were engaging them very close to her, as well as advancing toward the East Keep. Impa could only hope that the troops by the fairy fountain were advancing to meet them, because she had her own mission to accomplish.

The enemy base was straight ahead of where she had exited the eastern abandoned fort. Seeing the gates already open, miraculously, Impa ran toward it, cutting down bokoblins as she passed. It made her advance slower, but she thought that it was better to try to help the raid captain who was holding that new keep as much as she could.

Impa and Volga locked eyes the moment that she entered the enemy base. It was teeming full of bokoblins, with the self-proclaimed Dragon Knight standing by the northern-most wall. The bokoblins started to advance to protect their keep, but Volga laughed. "Stand down," he said, a cocky grin on his face. "This one is mine."

"Just as self-assured as before, I see," Impa said, advancing into the middle of the keep. The bokoblins stood back as instructed and didn't touch her.

Volga swung his spear around him, sending of sparks of fire as he did. "For good reason," he said. Then, as the sheikah was starting to advance to engage him, the Dragon Knight raised his free hand in the air—and it turned into a giant dragon claw.

Impa jumped backward as the smoldering claw swiped at her. "What the hell was that?!" she shouted, mostly to herself than to him. Still, Volga swiped at her again with the claw as he answered.

"I might have been holding back before," he said, laughing as she dodged again. "This might be…a much more _heated_ battle, if you know what I mean."

Impa rolled her eyes. "Oh, please," she said. "You could have thought of a better line than that."

Volga gritted his teeth, bursts of flame puffing out of his mouth. Letting out a battle cry, he charged at her, spear leading the way. The sheikah knew this move, though, and she dodged just in time. Just as before, his back was exposed and she swung at it, but before her attack could land a hit, a giant, fiery tail appeared on his backside and slammed into her chest. She hit the western wall hard and slumped to the ground.

"Ow," she groaned, clambering back to her feet. Volga stood back and laughed, waiting for her to be ready again. The sheikah realized that he was toying with her and growled under her breath. She was not a woman who liked to be toyed with.

"Did I hurt you?" Volga laughed. "Sorry. I'll play fairer next time, I promise."

Impa didn't respond. This time, she pressed the attack. She started with a forward slice that sent the blade of her naginata falling in overhead slices around her tumbling form. Each of these, the Dragon Knight blocked. Just when he was settling into his defense, however, Impa suddenly pushed off of her right foot. The naginata swung around her body and slammed, blade-first, into the Dragon Knight's left side.

The black metal sunk into his flesh, and Volga looked down at it in bewilderment. "Where did…" he started, but he grimaced mid-sentence as Impa yanked it out and swung it around for another hit from the top. Volga manifested his dragon claw and raised it just in time to block her, but he fell to his knees and dropped his spear at the same time. His right hand went to the wound in his side where Impa's weapon had sunk in, trying in vain to stem the blood pumping from it. Volga shook his head. "You won't kill me this easily," he snarled.

He grabbed his spear in his left hand and used it to hoist himself to his feet. Impa stood ready, waiting to see what he would do. Instead of attacking, as she had expected, the Dragon Knight let out a roar that sounded as if it came from the throat of a real dragon. He leapt into the air and, before her very eyes, transformed his whole body into a dragon. Great fiery wings flapped in the air, and his long serpentine neck arched downward, green eyes piercing Impa with a hate-filled stare. He took a deep breath. The scales of his belly turned bright red with the heat of dragon-fire.

The blast came straight at her, and Impa dodged out of the way. She tried to use some of it to redirect back at him, but dragon-fire was too powerful to control and the dragon had used the blast as a distraction. By the time the sheikah managed to redirect the powerful flames, he was already flying away. She watched him go, glaring at him until he was a speck in the sky.

The sheikah captain was not the only one who saw Volga's retreat. His own troops had turned to watch him fly away, and the Hyrulian troops could tell just by looking at them that their moral was gone. The only leader left to them, now, was the one remaining Darknut Captain advancing on the Eastern Keep, which Hyrulian troops had managed to successfully capture, and some confused-looking stalfos raid captains who weren't sure if they should run or fight.

Now that Impa had caused their general to retreat, she knew should follow General Xao's orders to retreat to Zelda's position. She was more than willing to obey. As she started to turn around, however, she felt a sharp pain in her side. When she looked down, she saw that Volga's last blast had caught her left side a little and gave her a good burn. It was nothing she couldn't power through, of course, but she wasn't the only one who had noticed the wound.

The sheikah was in the middle of the enemy base. Their leader may have run, but Impa was still surrounded by bokoblins, in the middle of enemy territory, wounded, and with no aid on the way. The monsters looked at her hungrily and licked their lips. Laughing, they swung their weapons around and advanced on her. Impa backed into the corner, where she wouldn't have to worry about protecting her back, and started fighting them off with her naginata.

"IMPA! HOLD ON!"

The sheikah looked up to find the voice and saw Link riding Epona full charge through the enemy ranks. He burst into the keep, horse hooves and sword flying. Behind him on the horse was Princess Zelda herself, brandishing her rapier with bursts of light flying from her sword. Between the three of them, they made short work of the remaining bokoblins in the base, and a battalion of Hyrulian troops was pouring into the north field from their success in the west.

Impa rounded on Link. "What the hell are you doing here?!" she demanded, her voice full of fury. "And with the princess in tow! I should kill you myself!"

Link swung off of Epona, leaving Zelda with the reins. Once he was a little closer, the sheikah could see the real distress on his features and knew that something was wrong. "Impa, it's the king," he said. "When he saw the dragon flying away, he screamed and…and his head…" Link's face turned a little green.

"Spit it out," Impa said, her tone stern. This was no time to grow squeamish.

It was Zelda who answered. "His head turned around backwards," she said, "and he started screaming. Link picked me up on Epona and here we are."

"You need to go," Link said. "I'll help them finish things up here. Go with Zelda, help King Daphnes. If he can be saved…."

Impa nodded. She was already swinging up into the saddle, ignoring the pain from her burnt flesh. "I'll do what I can," she said.

Zelda wrapped her arms around the sheikah's middle and held on as Impa spurred Epona into a gallop. "He's down in the south-eastern field," she said, and Impa turned Epona's head in the proper direction. They went through the North-Central Keep, where Impa noticed General Xao's body on the ground and a pang of sorrow went through her heart. There was no time to stop and mourn him, however, and they exited that keep and passed straight into the Central Keep. From there, Epona went to the right, and Impa pulled her up as they exited into the middle of the Eastern Field.

To their left, just where Zelda said he would be, King Daphnes appeared to be stumbling around in his golden armor. His horse was dead behind him, slain by some unknown dark power. Impa dismounted, her movements slowed by her wound. "Take the reins," she said to Zelda. "If I fall, ride Epona back to Link and escape." The princess nodded, but her eyes were locked on her father.

Impa advanced slowly. "King Daphnes?" she called, shifting her grip on her naginata. "Your Majesty, are you okay?"

The king's head turned all the way around to look at her before the rest of his body followed. His skin was gray, black veins tracing lines up his neck and through his face. His eyes were grayish purple with strange black lines through them. He grinned at her, and a black sludge oozed from his mouth. "Sssoo, you live ssshiekaahh," he drawled through the sludge. "Currrssse that drrrraagon."

Impa crouched down into a battle stance, holding her weapon at the ready. "Who are you, and what have you done to the king?" she growled.

Something inside the king's belly started to bubble, as if his very flesh was boiling. His head started twitching and his limbs flailed in unnatural directions. A scream rose from inside him, and suddenly his whole body exploded. Chunks of flesh flew at Impa, and she dodged what she could. Wiping a chunk of bloody flesh off of her cheek, the sheikah looked at the creature that remained in front of them.

It was a poe, that was clear at first sight, but some malformed poe with powers greater than she had ever seen. He wore ornate purple robes, and a single grotesque eye protruded from the middle of his blackened hood. As she watched, the eye opened into a fanged mouth, and the mouth smiled. "My name is Wizzro," it hissed, "and although you may have won the day, sheikah, you will not win the war. My master comes." It laughed then, a hideous, haunting sound, and disappeared.

"Hey, you," Impa called to the two captains nearest her. They jogged over and awaited orders. "Get a party together and search he castle. The king is missing, and we have to be sure he's not hidden somewhere. Also, go down to the dungeons and free Princess Ruto. She was never a traitor and we have need of her knowledge." The captain in question nodded and ran toward the castle, his battalion behind him. Impa turned to the other one. "I need you to take stock of the progress of the battle. When you are sure that every one of the enemy has been killed or chased away, I want you to report back to me." The captain saluted and ran to do as he was told.

Sighing a little, the sheikah turned her attention back to the princess sitting on the horse behind her. Zelda was staring, blank faced, at where her "father" had been standing. Her hands had dropped the reins and she just sat there, still as a statue, staring.

"Zelda?" Impa said, stepping forward. "Are you okay, princess?" The blond hylian blinked slowly. She looked a little pale, but she was showing none of the physical signs of possession that the king had shown. Still, Impa wanted to be careful. People in shock could be unpredictable, and she knew that with the power of the Triforce Zelda could be a particularly dangerous woman when she wanted to be.

Impa had reached the side of the horse. The princess still hadn't moved or responded. "Zelda?" she asked again, her voice soft. Slowly, carefully, she reached her hand up and touched the back of the princess's calf, behind her armor.

Zelda turned her head slowly, looking down at her guardian. "Impa…he…he…you…."

Impa rubbed Zelda's calf gently, recognizing that it was the physical contact that seemed to be waking her up. "I know, Zel," she said. "Come down from there and we'll get you inside the castle."

"But the battle—" Zelda started, looking around as if in a waking dream.

"The battle is won," Impa said. It may not be over quite yet, but she trusted their troops to finish off the stragglers. "We need to take care of you now. Hyrule needs you, Princess Zelda."

The princess nodded. She swung her leg over the horse and started to slide down. Impa caught her partway down and eased her, ever so gently, to the ground. The princess's legs seemed unstable, as if she didn't quite have the strength to walk on her own. She was still staring at the place where her father's body had been, and her skin was deathly pale.

"Come on," Impa whispered, hooking the arm on her good side under Zelda's armpits. The sheikah was bearing most of her weight at this point, despite the pain of her own wound, which felt worse than it had at first. "Let's get you to the medics." They hobbled inside. A room near the entrance had been turned into a hospital ward, and it was full now with wounded soldiers. There were so many that some were being treated out in the hallway, and still others waited for their turn.

The sheikah captain caught the eye of the head doctor of the medical order. "Excuse me," she called, her knees sagging a little. The pain of her burn was getting to her, but she grit her teeth and kept moving forward. "The princess needs help," she said once the doctor was close enough to really hear her.

"As do you, Captain Impa," the man said. "Come, both of you, to the back room."

A couple younger medics swooped in and took the princess from Impa. They tried to help her too, but the sheikah waved them off. "Just help Princess Zelda," she said. "I'm fine." They took the princess into a curtained area. By the time Impa managed to reach them, they were already laying her down.

"You should lie over here," the head doctor said to her, gesturing to the bed beside the princess's. He was bending over to try to see her burn better. "Your wounds look grave and needs treatment."

Impa shook her head. "No," she said, gritting her teeth a little. "I need to make sure that she's okay. Examine her first, please."

"Very well," he conceded, "but at least sit down." Impa nodded and moved around to the bed in question as the old man got to work examining the princess. He shone a small candle light in her eyes to check her pupils, and then checked the rest of her vitals. After a few minutes he sighed and straightened. "Princess Zelda is fine," he said to Impa. "She is just in shock. Was the battle too much for her sensitive composition?"

Impa shook her head. "She is the strongest person I have ever known," she said. "But she witnessed something so horrible that most grown men would have fainted. Something no daughter should ever see."

The doctor sighed. "Well, we will have her drink water, but she will have to snap out of it herself. You, however, I can do something about. Lie down and let me examine you please."

Impa did as she was told. While the old man looked at her wound, the sheikah watched the princess. "This wound is still burning," the old man finally said, surprise in his tone. "It is unnatural. What caused this?"

"A dragon," she answered. "The fire only grazed me so I thought I was okay."

The old man shook his head. "I have never seen dragon-fire," he said, "but the ancient tomes say that, untreated, it will never stop burning. It may have been okay at first, but it is not okay now. If you had not come to me, it would have burned a hole right through you. Luckily, you are here, and the ancient doctors also recorded a treatment." He turned to his assistant. "Bring me some maggots and Princess Ruto," he told the man.

"What are those for?" Impa asked, suddenly concerned. The old master patted her shoulder and didn't answer.

He shuffled out of the room to tend to his other patients while he waited for the apprentice to return with Ruto and the maggots. Grimacing a little as the burning continued, Impa looked over at Zelda again. She shifted a little, wincing as she did, and reached a hand out to touch Zelda's fingers. "Hey, Zel, can you hear me?" she said. The princess turned her head slowly. She blinked at the sheikah's face, as if just remembering who she was. Impa smiled. "There you are. Hey…you gave me quite a scare. Are you okay?"

Tears welled in Zelda's eyes. "No," she said, her voice croaking a little, as if her throat was raw. "I just saw my father's body _explode_ Impa. No, I am not okay."

"Shh," Impa whispered, taking Zelda hand more into her own. She rubbed the back of the princess's hand with her thumb. "You might want to try to keep your voice down. If the soldiers hear you, they will lose heart."

Zelda jerked her hand out of Impa's grasp. She sat up, and her expression was full of anger. "Maybe I do not care if they lose heart. They should! The king is dead! Who knows how long that…that creature…inhabited his body? Who knows what damage he has done to this court without my knowledge? All of those secret meetings…what poison has he fed to my leaders? What lies?"

Impa frowned. She tried to sit up, but the burn was delving deeper into her flesh and the pain was too great. "N-nothing you can't correct," she gasped. She could feel the fiery embers approaching her insides, searing the outside of her internal organs. It was moving a lot quicker than she had thought it would. "I-I'm sorry I didn't s-see…"

Zelda curled her hands into fists and glared down at the floor. Her eyes moved back and forth, as if reading something. Impa could see the wheels in her mind turning. "That _thing _appointed _you_, didn't it?" Her knuckles were turning white and her body was starting to shake, but the sheikah couldn't tell if it was anger or sorrow that was causing the tremors. "Yes, I can see it now…I did not start feeling those _unnatural_ feelings until you came. Once I started feeling things for you and all my attention was on you, I was blinded to the signs. The strange things my father was doing. The way he cared so much about my dreams but nothing else. His sudden change in policies and how he was keeping me out of the council. I noticed it, but I was so focused on _you_ that I did not pay attention to it."

Impa's brow furrowed. "Zelda, you…you can't think that I had anything to do with Wizzro? I swear to you, I had no idea. I had nothing to do with it!"

Zelda turned her gaze on the sheikah, and there was a deep hurt in her eyes along with a little touch of something that looked remarkably like madness. "Did you not?" she whispered, tears shaking in her eyes. "Even if that were true, that does not mean that he did not use you to distract me, and it does not mean that _he_ did not _create_ the things that we thought we felt for each other using his magic."

Impa did force herself to sit up now, and a small cry of pain escaped her lips. The edges of the burning flesh were smoldering red hot, like coals, and her ribs were now visible in the hole. "I-I…ungh…I was not _under a spell_," she hissed through clenched teeth. Tears were filling her eyes and trickling down her cheek. "E-everything I felt was _r-real_! I l-love you, Zelda."

Princess Zelda stood. She was a little shaky, but the color was returning to her cheeks, and the madness was burning in her eyes. "Do not call me my by personal name," she said, her tone cold. "I do not know you anymore." The princess turned on her heals and strode out of the room. Impa called after her, half delirious with the pain of her burning flesh, but Zelda didn't return. The sheikah collapsed back on the bed. Tears streamed from her eyes, sobs shaking her body. It wasn't long before the black depths of unconsciousness took her.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

**Author's Notes:** Hello! To celebrate the SCOTUS ruling today in the US in favor of Gay Marriage, here is the next chapter of In Sotto Voce. I know it doesn't end happily, but at least it's a new chapter. And hopefully the battle was fun to read.

Thank you for reading!

~The Wolfess

****If you enjoy my writing, please check out my major work, the Doppelganger Trilogy. You can find books 1 and 2 completed on my profile.****


	10. Chapter 10

*****ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY****

!

**In Sotto Voce**

_By The Wolfess_

_!_

**Chapter 10**

The first thing that Impa saw the next time her eyes opened was Ruto. The zora princess was sitting by her bedside, deep in concentration. It was a few more minutes before the sheikah realized that there was a cool, moist sensation around where her wound was. Looking down, Impa saw that Princess Ruto appeared to be using her water magic to manipulate some cool water around where the flesh wanted to keep burning. There were maggots that followed behind and inside the cool water, eating away the cooled down but still burning flesh while leaving the healthy flesh alone. One bucket beside the bed was full of dead, charred maggots, the other full of live ones.

There were only a few left on the wound in Impa's side. In fact, the flesh appeared as if it was starting to heal. She looked up at the concentrating zora and examined her features for a moment, not wanting to interrupt. Ruto had bags under her eyes, most likely from lack of sleep, and bruises on her skin where she must have been roughly handled in the dungeons.

"Ruto," Impa said, her voice hoarse from disuse. She placed her hand on the zora's knee.

Ruto smiled before she opened her eyes. "Hey there sleepy," she said, her voice sounding very tired. "Good to see you awake." Absently, the zora was still cooling down the flesh while talking.

"How long have you been doing this?" the sheikah asked.

"Oh, two days I think," Ruto shrugged. "I'm not sure. In the back of their heads, they all still think we're traitors so they leave us alone, except for the doctor and Link. Link visits every day, usually multiple times. The doc says the fire burned into your internal organs before we got to you and you got an infection. It'll be a while before you can move again, but at least the maggots are almost done. Damn things keep dying too quickly, though, and we had to go get more."

"Ruto…" Impa smiled, sadly, and squeezed the zora's knee. "Thank you," she whispered. "I think I'd be dead if it weren't for you."

Ruto laughed, but the sound was weary. "I am the only one in the castle who knows water magic, so yeah. You would be."

Impa closed her eyes, trying to remember what all had happened. Her memories of past few days were fuzzy, and her memory of the confrontation with Zelda before she lost consciousness was too painful to recall. Ruto was quiet while the sheikah thought, focusing her energy on her cooling work. After a while, though, she spoke. "You kept asking for Zelda," she finally whispered. Impa opened her eyes to watch the zora as she continued. "Over and over again, day and night, you called for her and cried. You said things in your fever-dreams…things about love, and about destiny, and servitude. You spoke of different lifetimes, different worlds, all serving her. I have never witnessed love like that before. Gosh, if I was into sheikahs I think I'd be in love with you myself." The zora winked and smiled, but it was half-hearted and it didn't hide her sorrow.

Impa frowned, pain crossing her features. "Did…did she hear?"

Ruto shook her head. "Only the doc, Link, and I have heard. She won't visit. They moved you to this private room so I wouldn't have to be distracted, at least that what they said. Really, though, it was because the princess…I mean the queen…didn't want anyone to hear you."

"Queen…so the king really is dead?"

Ruto nodded. "Yes, I'm sad to say. No sign of him. As far as they can tell, that body that exploded all over you really was his."

Impa sighed. "That has to be tearing Zelda up inside," she said, staring up at the ceiling.

Ruto laughed. "You're amazing, you know that? What she did to you and you still only care about her."

Impa furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Ruto raised her eye brows. "You don't remember?" She sighed. Pulling a little more cold water out of the bucket near her, she applied it to the wound before she continued. "Oh boy. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but…well, a lot has changed while you have been out. Most for the better, some not in my opinion."

Impa closed her eyes. "Just tell me. Might as well get it all out."

"Are you sure?" Ruto sounded dubious. "You _just _woke up after all. I'm not even sure how long you'll stay conscious this time. It's not the first time you have woken up you know."

She did feel weak. Now that she was awake, though, she felt like she couldn't get out of that bed fast enough, and not knowing would bother her. "Yeah, I'm sure."

The zora princess took and deep breath and sighed. "Okay, you asked for it." She took off a blackened, dead maggot and dropped it into the bucket, then put on another live one to take its place. "They beat the enemy army, I think you knew that. Most of the first two lines were decimated, except for you of course, but the rest of our army was untouched. All of their captains were killed, but the ring leaders got away. I think you knew that too." Impa nodded, so Ruto continued. "Well, they had the search for the king going on. Meanwhile, Zelda took up audience in the throne room and spoke to everyone she could about what her father had been telling them, and what happened during the battle. Heroes have been awarded metals, cowards who fled have been reprimanded. Zelda is still trying to root out the lies that Wizzro had been spreading, but the generals and leaders all seem receptive. Oh, and you will be happy to hear that Link has been promoted to captain for his bravery and performance in the battle."

Impa nodded slowly, but her facial expression was suspicious. "This is all good news," she said. "But you said that you thought some of what she has done is bad." Ruto bit her lip, obviously hesitant to say anything. "Tell me." Impa demanded.

"Fine," Ruto sighed. "Honey…Zelda has stripped you of your position and rank. Link is her bodyguard now, and you are not even a soldier in the army."

Impa felt as if she had taken a fist to the gut. She let out the breath she had not realized she had been holding, and tears sprang to her eyes. "W-why?" she gasped, trying to calm herself. She was sure the last thing the doctor would want her to do was freak out.

"That's where the bad news continues, I'm afraid," Ruto said. She gave Impa an apologetic look before she went on. "Not only did the search for the king prove that he is gone, as far as we can tell, it also showed that one other person was gone: Zelda's old body guard and chief counselor to the king, Kishla. Zelda has determined that she was how the spirit reached and infected her father's body. Kishla also spearheaded your promotion and appointment, if you will remember, leading to your further disfavor in the queen's eyes. She is convinced you were a part of it.

"Luckily, she has no proof," Ruto continued, "and enough people saw your amazing deeds on the battlefield that she couldn't do anything worse to you than she already did. The generals are already furious with her. They know the tasks that General Xao trusted to you, although they hadn't supported it at the time, and they saw how well you performed your assignments. You single-handedly captured the key keep in the battle, mortally wounded the dragon and cased him off, and then returned to protect the princess and chase a demon spirit out of the king's body. As far as they are concerned, you are the true hero of the battle, and I agree, but Zelda won't hear of it. They approached her about giving you General Xao's old position and she all but screamed at them. That's when she took your rank and position away."

Impa clamped her eyes shut. The pain in her heart felt like it was burning a hole in her, but this was a burn that neither Ruto's water nor the doctor's maggots could soothe.

When the sheikah didn't say anything, Ruto continued, mostly trying to fill the silence now. "If you ask me, there's something more to this than suspicion. I think she's scared of something, but I don't have any idea what. I _was _locked up in the dungeon for the whole thing."

Impa opened her eyes and looked at the zora. "I know what it is," she said, her voice sad.

When the sheikah didn't continue, Ruto pressed her. "Come on," she said. "I've been sitting here making sure you don't burn to death for over two days now. The least you can do is give me a little gossip." Her voice was light hearted, like the old Ruto again, but underneath it the sheikah could hear how sad and worried the zora princess was.

"Okay, you're right," Impa said, trying to smile a little. "Ruto…just before the battle…Zelda and I…we kissed."

Ruto was so shocked that she dropped the water she was using. Impa winced, the burning feeling intensifying immediately, and the zora princess quickly apologized and took new water out of the bucket to continue the cooling. "You _kissed?!_" she hissed, her eyes wide. "_What?!"_

Someone had let Impa's hair down, most likely Ruto, and the sheikah dragged her fingers through it now. "It was an emotional day. There was some intense stuff at Rauru's with our souls merging into one during a simple introduction to your magical core exercise, which definitely shouldn't have happened, and then you were thrown in jail and an army was coming and the king sent me to the front lines and Zelda was convinced that I was going to die…" she took a deep breath. Realizing that she was rambling and talking too fast, Impa took another breath and purposefully slowed down. "We had a couple hours alone before the army would arrive. I told Zelda she could do whatever she wanted during the time we had together. She…" Impa paused and bit her lip.

Ruto nodded her head. "She?" she prompted. Impa hesitated, and Ruto rolled her eyes. "Thrown in jail and been awake for two days saving your sheikah ass, remember? Spill."

"She took my armor off," Impa whispered, turning bright red. "And my clothes, at least off the top half, until all I was wearing was my suit hanging around my hips and my chest wraps on top, and that was it. I don't know what she was thinking, Ruto, and I didn't know what to do. I told her she could do whatever she wanted, and she said she wanted to touch me."

Ruto's eyes looked like they would pop out of their sockets. "You…didn't…did you?"

Impa shook her head. "NO! Of course not! I wouldn't allow that. No, we ended up falling asleep actually. We were woken up by the call to line up. We were in her closet and I was helping her get her armor on when she just kissed me."

Ruto's mouth was hanging open. "SHE kissed YOU?" she whistled. "I would never have guessed that she would go first. Never in a million years."

Impa was bright red now. "Yeah, but it was just a peck. She didn't know how to do it, you know? So I…well, I kissed her back. And it was a lot…well, deeper than that."

"Anything else?" Ruto asked, lifting an eyebrow. She seemed to perk up the more she heard of the story.

Impa bit her lip and nodded. "I told her that I'm in love with her."

"SHIT, you didn't!" Ruto said. "You didn't!"

The sheikah groaned. "I did. I know. It was stupid."

Ruto almost stood up to pace around the room, but she remembered her task this time and restrained herself. "Well, that explains a lot. She's scared shitless."

Impa frowned. "Ruto, please, language."

The zora princess rolled her eyes. "Sorry. But seriously. All of this right before the battle, and then her father dies right before her eyes like that. It's no wonder that she snapped and wants you erased off of the face of the planet."

Impa closed her eyes and groaned. "I really messed up, didn't I?" she said.

Ruto nodded. "Yeah you did. Luckily, powerful as she may be, even the great Queen Zelda can't erase you from existence. You can leave here when you're healthy and go wherever you want."

"How many days until I can leave, do you think?" Impa asked.

Ruto took off two dead maggots and put new ones in their places. "These guys should be done by the end of the night. Then the doc says that he has this potion that should heal your skin right up. You'll have a big scar, but you'll be good to go in a couple days, max."

Impa was quiet for a moment, thinking about everything Ruto had said. Time passed in silence. The zora princess was obviously more tired and care-worn than she was trying to let the sheikah see. "Ruto," Impa finally said, reaching over and taking the zora's hand in her own. Ruto met her eyes, and this time she didn't try to put up a shallow front to hide what she was really feeling. "Thank you. Please, tell me how you are holding up. What happened with the king before the battle?"

"I saw his eyes change," the zora said, not hiding the emotion and exhaustion in her voice. She seemed to age and mature right before Impa's eyes, like all of her masks and walls had fallen down. "When I asked him what was wrong, he hissed at me, like I caught the creature inside him off guard or something. I knew then that he wasn't the king, and I attacked him. That was stupid. The guards knocked me out, and the next thing I knew I was in the dungeon shackled to the wall. It…it wasn't a good time for me."

The zora's face had darkened, and her hands absently rubbed at the bruises showing on her arms. Impa wondered what other bruises were being hid under her dress, and how she had gotten them. Ruto wasn't giving that information up, though, and Impa didn't want to press her.

"Now you've been awake for going on three days taking care of me," she said instead. "I owe you a life-debt Ruto."

Ruto shook her head. "No you don't," she whispered.

"Yes, I do," Impa insisted, her voice firm.

Ruto sighed. "There's still one more thing I haven't told you," she said. "When they let me out of the jail…I saw Kishla in the hall. She asked me what was going on, and I told her that I had just been let out and didn't know. There was something weird about her, the same evil feeling I sensed with the king, but I was so tired and hurt…Impa, I let her go. I could feel something evil about her and I let her go. I didn't know what she had done, what she was going to do. I didn't know…."

Dread curled in Impa's stomach. "What did she do, Ruto?" she prompted when the aquatic woman didn't continue.

Ruto couldn't look Impa in the eye. Her own fishy eyes were watering. When she spoke, it was barely loud enough for Impa to hear. "She went back to your village…she…I'm so sorry, Impa. Kishla killed your mother and half of the sheikah council before the warriors realized what was happening and drove her out."

For the second time that morning, Impa felt as if someone had punched her. "My…my mom…" her eyes teared up and her body began to shake. "Elder Kishla…killed my mother? She was all the family I had left…she…" a sob tore from her throat, and the tears spilled over cheeks.

Ruto couldn't really hug her due to her ministrations with the water, but she did her best with her free arm. "I'm sorry, Impa," she whispered. She was crying as well. "I didn't know…I shouldn't have let her go. I'm so sorry!"

Impa took a couple deep, shaky breaths. "It…it's okay Ruto. You couldn't have known. It's not your fault." She patted the zora princess's back.

Ruto pulled away, and some of the tears on her cheeks drifted down and joined the water cooling Impa's burn. "I feel as if it is," she said. "You owe me nothing, Impa."

Impa leaned back against her pillows and closed her eyes. Suddenly she felt very weak and her head felt heavy, woozy. "Let's call it even," she whispered, feeling her vision blur and her head swim. "A life for a life." She heard Ruto agree before she drifted back into an exhausted sleep.

The next time Impa woke up, Ruto was gone. The buckets of maggots were gone as well, and a gentle morning light was streaming in through the window. The sheikah looked down at her side and saw that the skin was mostly growing back together, thanks to the doctor's potion. He was right when he said that there would be a scar though.

Impa sat up and moved her legs off of the edge of the bed. Now that she was really feeling better, she was suddenly aware of how very hungry she felt. It appeared that someone had expected that because there was a covered platter on her bedside table. Lifting the silver lid, Impa found a sandwich and some cold broth waiting for her. Despite it being a little old, she was grateful for every bite.

When she stood up, her legs were weak and shaky and her head swam. She braced herself by placing one hand on the wall until her head stopped swimming, and then she looked down at herself. She was looking a little thin, obviously as a result of not eating for at least three days, and she was wearing nothing but fresh wraps around her chest and a pair of shorts. Looking around, Impa found her clothes and armor washed and folded on a chair nearby. Just beside that, leaning in the corner behind the chair, were both of her weapons and a single chest containing all of her possessions. These things had been in her dresser in Zelda's room. Impa got the message loud and clear.

With a heavy heart, the sheikah dressed. Once she was done, she sat in the chair and looked out the window, thinking about what to do now. Obviously she would have to return to the tribe. With her mother dead, Impa was the next tribal leader and she had to go take on the position and help the tribe heal from its losses. She also had to decide what to do about Kishla and Zelda. Impa hoped that the remaining council members and elders could help her with those decisions, as she didn't feel like she could be objective just now.

Impa heard the door creak open, but she didn't turn around. She wasn't sure that she really cared who it was. "Hey, you're up," came a male voice behind her. "I'm really glad." The sheikah turned to see Link standing in the doorway. He wore a green tunic and a blue scarf, one she recognized as the symbol that Queen Zelda had dubbed him the next legendary hero. She sighed and turned her gaze back out the window.

"Congratulations are in order," she said, her voice stiff. "High honors, a promotion, and a lifetime appointment at the queen's side. You must be proud."

Link stepped inside and closed the door behind him. "Don't be like that," he said, his voice sad. "I didn't want this. I tried to talk her out of it, but she wouldn't listen to me."

Impa scoffed a little. "I'm sure you tried really hard."

"I know you must be tired," the hero said slowly, frustration on the edge of his voice. "I guess I'll leave you alone until you feel better."

Impa waved over her shoulder without turning around. "Goodbye, don't let the door hit you on your way out."

Link shook his head and left her alone with her thoughts. The sheikah woman sighed. He didn't deserve to be treated like that. She knew she was being stupid. She was just so hurt and tired and angry, and there he stood with everything that she wanted and cared about most. She was jealous.

Crossing to the door, she opened it and looked outside. Just as she had suspected, two guards stood on either side. "Excuse me," she said. "Will you help me with my things? I'm too weak to carry them yet and I need to get on the road. The princess…I mean the queen will want me gone as soon as possible."

The guards filed into her room without another word. One of them picked up the chest while the other took her weapons. She followed them out to the stables, where she saw that a wagon was already waiting. It was nothing fancy, just a simple wooden hay wagon with a single horse attached, but Impa knew the moment she saw it that it was for her.

The guards plopped her things unceremoniously in the back and marched away. It was only a couple minutes before a driver walked up. "I suppose you're well enough to travel then," he said, glaring at her. He obviously believed that queen's lies about her. Impa supposed that they all did.

"As well as I can expect to be," she said. "Kakariko Village please."

The driver got up in the front seat. "Fine. You're in the back."

Impa nodded and crawled in. She sat with her legs hanging off the back as the wagon jerked forward and rumbled toward the gate. Looking around at this place that had been her home for the past few years, the sheikah's heart hurt again and her eyes moistened. No tears fell, however. She was too tired and spent to cry anymore.

"Hey! Wait!"

The wagon pulled to a halt at the main gate. Princess Ruto was running toward them with a suitcase in hand, waving her free arm in the air. When she got close, she threw the suitcase up next to Impa's chest and doubled over, breathing hard. "Thought…you could leave…without me?" she huffed.

Impa frowned. "I didn't think you were coming," she said, truthfully. She hadn't even thought to ask the zora.

Ruto climbed up beside the sheikah woman. "Continue," she said to the driver. He snapped his whip and the wagon jerked forward again. The zora princess leaned back on her hands and turned her face up into the sun. "There's nothing for me to stay here for," she said to Impa, her voice soft and sad. "The old king, the real king, brought me here to help Princess Zelda. _Queen_ Zelda doesn't want me around anymore though. I don't want to risk the zora kingdom's alliance with Hyrule by staying and increasing the tension between the queen and I, but neither am I prepared to return my own kingdom and face my father's wrath over what happened. He has always been too quick to anger and I know he will want to start a war. He won't make a move until I'm right there in front of him, though, so staying away will delay him." Ruto opened her eyes and smiled at Impa. "Plus, well, I think maybe you need me now. You're in worse shape than anyone."

"But Ruto," Impa started. "What will you do in the sheikah village? We are a simple, solemn, and reflective people by nature. You will be…bored. Restless."

Ruto laughed and hooked her arm through Impa's. "Bored around you? Never. You, my sheikah friend, are way too exciting."

Impa could think of nothing else to say. Truth be told, she was happy to have the company. Something about Ruto's presence made the sheikah woman feel a little less alone. Laughing, she rolled her eyes and gave in. "Fine," she said. "But don't complain to me if your accommodations aren't quite as luxurious as you're used to."

Ruto grinned. "Thanks, Imp!" she said, her voice laughing and musical again. The merriment was forced, Impa knew that, but she appreciated the effort just the same.

"Don't call me 'Imp'" she replied. "You make me sound like some sort of tiny monster."

Ruto shook her head and grinned. She lay back in the bed of the wagon, planning to soak in the sun for all it was worth. "Nope," she said, her eyes closed. "I think that Imp is perfect for you, so Imp you are."

Impa groaned. "This is going to be a long ride," she said. Still, she smiled and laid back beside the zora princess, folding her hands behind her head and closing her eyes. Perhaps with a person—a _friend_—as fun as Ruto around, picking up the pieces of her tribe and her heart wouldn't be as painful as she thought.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

**Author's Notes:** Hello again everyone. It has been three weeks since June 26th (which I am unofficially dubbing "Gay Day"), to I thought it was about time to upload another chapter of this.

In other news, I now have a new tablet and my first smart phone that both run android OS. Don't know why you should be happy about this? No? WELL, let me tell you! You see, I have uploaded all of my writing-related files to Google Drive. I can now open them and edit them on my laptop at home, on my tablet on the go with its Bluetooth keyboard, and on my smartphone for reference and minor tweeks. Which means I should be a lot more productive with my time and I'm super excited about it!

Anyway, that's the news on the writing front. I hope your summers are going well. Thank you for reading!

~The Wolfess

****If you enjoy my writing, please check out my major work, the Doppelganger Trilogy. You can find books 1 and 2 completed on my profile.****


	11. Chapter 11

*****ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY****

!

**In Sotto Voce**

_By The Wolfess_

_!_

**Chapter 11**

Queen Zelda was tireless. At least, that is what the people were saying. Ever since the battle, every minute of her time was spent doing something to help someone or prepare for what was coming next. She spent as much time as she could in meetings with her counselors, advisors, and generals. Sun up to sun down, they argued and wrestled with the lies that the poe, Wizzro, had spread. The progress was slow, but every day they seemed to come to more agreements.

When she wasn't in meetings, the queen visited the barracks, checked with the scouts and the guild of aviators for news of their enemy's movements, or met with Grand Master Rauru to work on her battle magic. She was determined that they would not be caught by surprise again, and in the next battle she would not stand back and wait. She would move forward with the rest of them and raise her sword to fight. She herself would defend Hyrule.

Through all of this, Link stood at her side and worried. The makeup she wore didn't hide how gaunt her face was becoming, or how dead her eyes looked. Not from him. She barely ate, and she hardly slept. He slept in the room next door to hers, due to their difference in sexes, but that didn't mean that he didn't hear her at night. She cried herself to sleep. In the middle of the night, he would be awakened to the sound of her sobbing or screaming. Sometimes she said things, called out names. Sometimes she called for her father. More often than not, she called for Impa. Through these night terrors, Link stayed in his room and listened. The queen had forbade him from entering her room during these moments, no matter what he heard.

When the first light of dawn came, Link would rise, wash, and dress. Zelda was always awake and fully ready when he knocked on her door, no matter how early he knocked. In the twilight hours, the queen sat at her desk and poured over book after book, ancient, dusty tomes that no one read anymore. Link didn't know what she was looking for, but he was sure that he didn't have the education to understand if he asked.

The day that Link saw Impa finally awake and up, he didn't tell Zelda about the encounter. The queen had made it clear that she was okay with him visiting the sheikah, but she didn't want to hear about it. Impa's curt and rude attitude were hurtful and it bothered the hylian man, but he understood why she felt that way. Everything that had been hers—her rank in the army, her honors for her deeds in the battle, Zelda herself—now belonged to Link. Link _had_ tried to protest, but in the state that the queen was in, he hadn't had the heart to protest long. Queen Zelda was something of a brick wall to any dissenting voice. So far, everyone—including himself—just gave in to her demands without very much fight at all. Something about her seemed to require unquestioning compliance and allegiance from them all. Though they tried to raise another opinion, she seemed to know what was best and was able to argue anyone down. Perhaps it was the Triforce of Wisdom she carried leading her in a fateful direction, but they were all swayed at one point or another.

It was those nighttime hours, when the hylian hero could hear his charge crying, that Link remembered there was still a woman underneath the queen. A woman who was in great pain. He found that he couldn't be angry or judgmental of her coldness during the day, and he didn't want to do anything that might distress her more. She probably maintained her cold, hard façade because showing _any_ emotion would mean showing _all_ of it. If obeying and protecting Queen Zelda mean hurting Impa's feelings, then Link found that he didn't care what the sheikah thought half so much as he cared for the queen.

When the young captain returned to visit his sheikah friend the next day, he found her gone. Asking around eventually unearthed the tale. Impa and Ruto had been seen leaving together with all of their belongings. The stable boy revealed that they had left on a hay wagon bound for the sheikah village. A little more hunting turned up the fact that the queen herself had orchestrated the whole thing, without once pausing in her duties to say goodbye or even watch them go.

That night, at the queen's solitary, silent dinner, Link couldn't help but speak up. "My Queen," he started. "Princess Ruto and Impa left together yesterday. They are bound for the sheikah village."

They were eating lentil soup alone in the dining hall with the door closed. The loudest sound was the clink of their spoons in their bowls. At his words, she set her spoon down and looked over at him. Her expression was unreadable, as usual. "I know this already," she said, her voice flat. "I thought I told you not to speak of them to me."

Link bowed his head. "My apologies, your Majesty. I just thought…they were our friends…and you might like to know that they left_ together_."

Zelda returned to her food. Her voice was strained and stiff when she spoke next, as if it hurt her to speak at all. "They are being watched. If they have any further involvement with the enemy, then I will know and they will be apprehended. We need not fear their closeness. If they have chosen one another's company, then…then at least we will not have to split up our spies."

Link was about to speak again when he noticed that Zelda's free hand had curled into a fist around the cloth napkin in her lap. Her knuckles where white and both of her hands shook ever so slightly. He swallowed his words and decided to let the subject drop. "It is supposed to be a beautiful day tomorrow," he said instead. "Most of the generals are taking advantage of the weather to go visit their families. Perhaps you might enjoy a walk through the gardens, or a horseback ride?"

The queen set down her spoon and looked at Link again, but this time her expression was more confused than anything. She seemed to mull it over for a moment, as if the request was somehow strange to her. Link would have given anything to know what was going through her head. "I suppose that a picnic could be agreeable," she finally said.

Link grinned, despite himself. He wiped it off of his face quickly, though. "I will have arrangements made," he said, turning his attention down to his own soup. They ate the rest of their meal in silence. That evening, Zelda was in the library again until well after the rest of the castle had gone to bed. When she finally trudged up to her own room, she had a new book under her arm. She bid him goodnight and closed her door. The knight stood outside her door until he saw the sliver of light go out, meaning that she had put out her candles and gone to bed. He took this as his cue that he, too, could go to bed.

It wasn't long after Link dressed and settled down under his own comforter that Queen Zelda started crying again. The sound was always soft, but the wall between them had been made thin for a reason. He closed his eyes and tried to shut out the sound, but to no success. Vaguely he could make out the words "Impa" and "Ruto" and he cursed himself for ever bringing them up. He promised himself that he wouldn't do it again, and spent the rest of his night thinking about ways he could make the queen smile during their picnic tomorrow.

!

Zelda didn't want to go far from the castle, so when Link met her outside the throne room after her morning audience, a picnic basket thrown over his arm, she led him to the gardens. Rather than going to the rose gardens, which were the most popular section of the royal gardens, the queen took them the opposite direction. They wound through hedges taller than their heads that felt like a maze. Portions of the hedge were so overgrown that Link wondered how old this portion of the garden was.

When they finally came to a stop, the hedge maze had given way to a large circular area. This clearing felt older still. Almost ancient…and slightly familiar. He couldn't quite put his finger on why. It had towering, ancient trees and crumbling stone benches. The fountain in the middle was green with algae and the cobblestone around it was covered in wet moss. Link spread the blanket the kitchens had provided over the driest, clearest portion of grass and sat down on his knees, placing the basket in front of him.

Zelda sat as well, slipping her legs to the side beneath her. She watched him in silence as he took out the sandwiches the cook had packed and arranged them on the clean blanket. He felt a little awkward, but when he was done he set the empty basket aside and sat all the way down, crossing his legs beneath him.

"Well, uh, eat up your majesty. If you want to," he said, flashing her his best smile. He was trying to appear as calm and relaxed as possible. The queen had yet to let down her guard, and every muscle in her body was tensed. Zelda nodded and picked up a sandwich. As she took a bite, her eyes looked into the distance, past Link's shoulder. He didn't bother to follow her gaze. He knew she wasn't looking at anything in particular.

When Zelda did speak, Link jumped in surprise. He hadn't actually expected her to. "My father's head spun in a complete circle before he died," she said, her voice soft and slow. "He looked at Impa and myself with his back still turned. When…when he exploded, I was too far away to be hit by the blood and flesh. But Impa…she was covered by it. She came over to check on me so coolly, as if what had just happened was just another part of battle. Her clothes were covered in chunks of my father's flesh and clothing."

Link didn't know what to say. It sounded horrible, and he couldn't believe that she was even telling him this. As far as he knew, she hadn't yet spoken to anyone about what happened. Zelda continued speaking, and her voice was barely above a whisper. "He was good king," she said. "He was a good man. A gentle father. He was not always there, but that is what happens when you rule a country alone. We ate together twice a day, every day. We celebrated the holidays together. He spared no expense in my education and entertainment. I…I loved him. He was all the family I had, besides Kishla."

She laughed a little and shook her head. For the first time, she looked directly in Link's eyes as she continued speaking. "It is ironic, is it not? The four people I have allowed to get close to me are the four who betray me." Link didn't think Impa and Ruto betrayed her at all, but he didn't say anything. This was the first time she was actually opening up, and he didn't want to jeopardize it.

"I'm sorry, your Majesty," he said instead. "It's a terrible coincidence…but I don't think you should take it as any reflection on you. You…you are a wonderful, beautiful person."

Zelda smiled at him. It was a sad smile, but he had not seen any sort of genuine smile grace her lips since she and Impa returned from their visit to Castle Town. "That is kind of you to say," she said. She reached between them and took Link's hand in her own. Shifting her grip so that the skin of their palms were pressed together, she looked at his hand curiously, examining it. Link didn't know what she was looking for, but he dared not pull his hand away.

After a while the queen sighed a little, patted the back of his hand with her free one, and let it drop. She went back to eating her sandwich, and Link picked up his. He looked around as he chewed, examining the little grove they were in. When he swallowed, he asked, "where is this place? What is it?"

Zelda raised her eyebrows, surprised that he didn't know. She looked around as she explained. "This is a grove that is almost as old as the castle. The Princess of Destiny and the Hero of Time used to meet here in secret and have their love affair. Do you not recognize it?"

Link choked a little. Coughing, he hit his chest with his fist and swallowed. "Should I?" he finally said, raising both of his eyebrows.

Zelda chuckled a little. "Well, you are his reincarnation. It might feel a little familiar at least."

Link smiled to hear her laugh, no matter how devoid of true joy it was. It was nothing like how she laughed when Impa and Ruto were around though. "I guess it does feel familiar," he admitted. "I couldn't quite put my finger on it, though."

Zelda ran her fingers through the grass just off the edge of the blanket, smiling a little. "It is not much to look at now," she said. "This hedge maze is almost as old as the castle itself. Our gardeners try to tend it, but they swear that it has developed a mind of its own. No one really knows what all is in here. They say that you will discover something different every time you enter, depending on who you are and what you are looking for. The maze changes itself, adapting to who is inside of it…or so the servants say. They make up such interesting stories."

Link looked at Zelda. "And you, your Majesty? What have you been looking for here?" He knew it was a bold question, but the queen appeared to be in a revelatory mood.

"Every time I enter, I find this place," Queen Zelda answered. "I suppose that means that I am looking for companionship…_was_ looking for companionship." The mask began to descend on her face again, memories of the world outside the hedge intruding on their moment of solitude. It wasn't long before the open, girl-like Zelda was once again hidden behind the hard, steel mask of the Queen of Hyrule. "No," she said. "I think that I have no more need of this place."

She got up suddenly, leaving her food unfinished. Link put the sandwiches away in the basket as quickly as he could and jogged to catch up with her before he lost her in the maze. "Hey," he said once he caught her. "Slow down. Please?" Zelda slowed but she didn't stop and she didn't look at him. Link sighed. "I shouldn't have asked such a personal question. I'm sorry." She still didn't reply, so he held up the basket where she could see it. "Do you want to finish this in the library?" he asked. "I know you were reading a new book there, and I don't think they would say no the queen."

Zelda looked down at the basket and then up at Link. After a moment, as they rounded a couple corners and the exit popped into view, she nodded her consent. Link held back his sigh of relief and fell into step behind her as they exited the maze. Zelda led them to the library in silence. Link set up the remains of their picnic on one of the large tables meant for spreading books out on during study and dragged it over to the queen's favorite chair. She settled in and picked up one of the dusty tomes she had left there for herself. She held the book in one hand and used the other to pick at her food.

Link finished his food quietly, and then started walking around the library absently. He didn't read very much, so he just glanced at the spines of the books and tried to make out the titles. He was of a low birth, and the areas where he was strongest had always been more physical, like swordplay, or mental in the way that puzzles are. He was never much of a scholar. He left books and studying to those of a higher intellect and birth than him, like the princess herself. They all had their place in the grand scheme of things, he figured, and his was not in a library.

Every now and then, as the hylian man wandered through the many, many bookshelves, he thought he caught the queen watching him. The moment he would look at her, though, she would look away. At first he didn't think much of it, but as it continued he was starting to feel weird. Finally, when he almost caught her later on that afternoon, he sighed and turned to face her. "Is there something on my tunic?" he asked, trying to look down at the green fabric. "Or something on my face?"

The queen shook her head. "No," she said, turning her eyes back down to her book as if she had never been looking at him.

"You were watching me," he said, not ready to let it go. "Why?"

Zelda bit her lip. She placed her hand where she was reading and closed the book around it, then looked up at her new protector. "I have not yet figured you out," she said, her tone matter of fact. "You were friends with…" her voice hitched. She couldn't even say Impa's name. It almost hurt to watch her fish around for something else to call her. "With the sheikah traitor," she finally said. Link couldn't hold back the small sigh that escaped him. The queen chose to ignore it. "You were friends with her, and yet you did not suspect her. Why?"

"I didn't have reason to," he answered. "I knew her heart, you know?" Zelda shook her head, looking confused. The hero supposed she wouldn't know. She never took anything on instinct, their queen. Zelda was always thinking and rethinking everything. Link considered how to explain it in a way that she would understand, and then he drew his sword and swung it around a few times. He was careful not to hit anything with it. Finally, he held it up in front of his face and looked at its short blade in the afternoon light streaming in through the window.

"I'm a warrior right?" he finally started. Zelda nodded. "Well, when you fight someone you come to know something about them. How they move, what decisions they make in battle, what their personality and style is. They don't need to explain it with words. You don't need to have hours of conversation to get to know each other. The more you fight each other, the better you know one another. Impa and I were sparring partners. For the past years…two or three I think, I lose count…we have fought together in so many ways. Sometimes we teamed up against other trainees. Sometimes we fought each other. We used various weapons and techniques, fought under various conditions and with different people. By the time we met you, well, I'd say we knew each other better than we knew our own families."

Zelda shook her head. "I do not understand," she said. "You just fight. How can you come to know someone with a sword?"

"Hmm…" Link thought some more. He never had to explain it before. "I…well." He raised his sword and got into a fighting stance. "Impa…she's smart. I knew that right away. If I came forward, like this," he jabbed forward, leading with a direct attack, "she never just deflected or defended. She would spin around or jump over my head and take me from my exposed side, using my momentum and forward focus against me." Zelda nodded, so he continued. "She knew how to read body language like that. No matter how I tried to get a direct attack on her, she always read my bluffs like an open book." The queen nodded again, so the knight kept going. "But it wasn't just that she was smart. There are other ways to get around a direct attack, you know? More practical ways than all of her acrobatics. She threw in the acrobatics for a few reasons, and it took me longer to figure that part out."

Link stopped and looked at Zelda, trying to read her. He couldn't tell if all of this talk of Impa was okay. She looked pained, that was to be expected, but when he paused she said, "please, continue. I want to understand."

"Okay," he said. "Well, I eventually figured it out. She threw in the acrobatic techniques because she was creative and passionate. There was always a certain…what, uh, rhythm? Flow? To how she moved. Like her water magic. It was like she heard music in her head when she was fighting and her moves were a dance. It also keeps people on their toes, that's her intelligence again. It takes a while to figure out her patterns and how to defend her. Most people don't fight her enough to decipher that."

Link swiped his sword through the air again, and he smiled as he remembered all of his battles with the sheikah woman. "So, there you have intelligence and creativity. I also said she was passionate, and I'll add honesty to that. Impa…she overflows with energy and enthusiasm. You can see it in the speed that she moves with, and the grace of her body as she turns in the air. She loves every moment of it. That's that fire in her. She's passionate about everything she does, and she throws herself into it. So much so that she forgets simple things sometimes, like eating or sleeping. Her own welfare. To her, her own well-being takes last place to protecting others and helping them improve. I can't tell you how many times she went out to help other trainees get ready for their tests. She was like a second instructor to all of us, and she cared more than most of our real instructors. She is able to do that because she leaves everything on the battlefield. All of her emotions and energy, every ounce of her heart and soul, she leaves it there. That's her time. That's when she really opens up and comes alive. When she's not fighting, she can give of herself almost endlessly I think."

Link sheathed his sword and came to sit down across from Zelda. The queen looked like she was about to cry again, but now that he had started he couldn't stop now. "That's why I don't think she ever betrayed you, Zelda," he said, his voice earnest. "Talk to anyone who has fought her or trained with her. You could see every part of her soul in her eyes and her movements when she fought. If there was malice in her heart, Zelda I would have known. We all would have known. It just…isn't in her nature to hide something when she's fighting. She can't survive if she doesn't fight. It's the release that helps her to give and function as a normal person."

Zelda wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. "I do not know if I believe you," she said, not quite keeping the emotion out of her voice. Her hands were shaking again.

Link nodded. "Okay," he said. "Fine. I'll give you an example. The morning before her test, when you asked her to be your guard." Zelda's eyes widened, and her face started to shut down. She obviously didn't want to remember this day. Link forged ahead, unwilling to give up. He had to try, for Impa's sake. He owed her that much after all she did for him. "She got up at dawn, way before everyone else, and went to the square by herself. I always get up early too, and she didn't realize I was watching her. She used water that morning almost right away, which told me that she must feeling irritated or impatient about something and wanted to sooth it with the water. Then her attacks were haphazard and sloppy. She was emotional and distressed. She couldn't keep the water sphere together, which told me her mind must be scattered or focused on something else because she couldn't focus enough on what she was doing to keep it together. It was barely to size before she dropped it, which tells me that she was giving up on trying to figure out whatever it was she was running through her head. Now, I still don't know what it was that was bothering her, exactly. I have an idea, but that's all. I figured she might need some company, though, so I walked over."

Zelda was looking out the window past his shoulder again. Her face was stone. Link knew that somewhere along the line he had lost her. "Look," he sighed, "you can get rid of me too if you don't trust me," his voice sounded resigned. "I stand by Impa. Whatever Kishla and Wizzro may have tried to use her for, she didn't know about it. I would have read it in her when we trained. You know what I do think, Queen Zelda?" He didn't wait for her to ask. He knew that she wouldn't. "Kishla ran and hasn't been seen since. Wizzro had to give up control of Hyrule and run as well. Impa nearly died from that Dragon Fire burn she received chasing off the enemy general, which, by the way, pretty much was the stroke that won the battle, along with that central keep that _she captured_. All I did was stand by your side, go get her when things got weird, and clean up the rabble after she had already won. After all that, with that fire still burning a hole in her side, she all but carried you off of the battlefield to a medic." He sighed and looked down at the green tunic and blue scarf he wore. "I think that Impa almost single-handedly ruined the enemy's plans. I think she's the real hero of that battle, not me. _She_ should be wearing this stuff. Not me."

As he finished, he took off the scarf and his sword belts and set them aside, then he stripped off the green tunic and chainmail that went with it. Underneath, he wore a white peasant-top shirt and tan pants tucked into his high leather boots. Once it was off, Link threw the tunic and scarf at Zelda's feet. "I may be the next hero, you may be right," he said, his voice sad and soft, "but I haven't earned that tunic yet. Until I earn it, on the strength and credit of my own deeds, I don't want it."

Zelda looked down at the green tunic, blue scarf, and chainmail in a crumpled heap on the floor at her feet. She was still staring at it as Link walked out of the library. Alone with her thoughts, she set her book down and stared into the distance.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

**Author's Notes:** Hello again! Here's another chapter for you. Gotta love Link—he's the noblest creature around, and loyal to a fault. No wonder he and Impa are friends. :)

In other news, I went on a big camping vacation and got engaged! My girlfriend of 5 years proposed on a dock on a beautiful mountain lake hidden away in Idaho. She even used the Zelda Chest that came with a Link Between Words in Europe as the ring box (the one that plays the item get sound!) Yeah, she's pretty wonderful! :D For those who are curious, it's a three-stone white gold ring with a diamond in the center and two pear-shaped emeralds on the sides, like stone leaves around a really sparkly white rose. 3

Anyway, I'm looking forward to your reviews! Until next time.

~The Wolfess

****If you enjoy my writing, please check out my major work, the Doppelganger Trilogy. You can find books 1 and 2 completed on my profile.****


	12. Chapter 12

*****ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY****

!

**In Sotto Voce**

_By The Wolfess_

_!_

**Chapter 12**

Impa's inauguration as Tribal Leader was a humble affair. It was a gray day, but even if the sun had come out it would still have been gray in Kakariko Village. The whole Sheikah Tribe was in mourning and none of them wanted to make a big deal out of the occasion. This wasn't how any of them imagined Tribal Leader Tikala passing on her leadership. They had pictured Tikala as an elder, old and wizened, and Impa a General of the Hyrulian Army, Queen Zelda's right hand. They had pictured the whole of Hyrule Castle Court in attendance as a wrinkled Elder Tikala, on the last legs of her life, passed on her ceremonial robe as a sign of relinquishing her leadership, with the Queen and King of Hyrule watching on.

Instead, Tikala had been at the prime of her life and her leadership. They stripped the robe from her body covered in her own blood and had to clean it in preparation for her daughter's coming. Not only this sorrow, but then Impa came to them in disgrace, trailing a strange foreign princess who was certainly _not _Zelda. There was not only sorrow hanging in the air, but also disappointment and dishonor. At the 'ceremony', Impa presented the Sheikah Naginata for proof of her appointment as successor to the role, and then she recited a brief promise to lead the Sheikah Tribe honorably and faithfully, as a servant to her people, to the end of her days. This she promised to do as her mother had before her. Finally, they presented her with the cleaned ceremonial robe and that was it.

They went right from the inauguration to the funeral. Tribal Leader Tikala and two others had been killed in Kishla's attack. The sheikah traitor had murdered them without warning, before anyone could realize what was happing, and then escaped before she could be caught. Kishla was an elder, said to be stiffening with disease in her old age. She had served the Tribal Council and Sheikah Leaders, as well as the Royal House of Hylia, for many years. No one had thought twice about taking her weapons when she asked to enter the council chamber. Why would they have needed to? At least, that was what the sheikah standing guard at the entrance had claimed.

The whole tribe turned up for the funeral, as well as Princess Ruto. The faces that surrounded the grave site were grim and confused. The new Tribal Leader could see the same confusion and hurt in their eyes that she herself felt, but she had no comfort to give them. Her heart was as raw as a fresh wound and her body was weak. The doctor's maggots and Ruto's magic may have healed her physical body, but her heart was not fully recovered. To have so nearly touched her destiny only to have it torn away left her feeling as sick and paralyzed as she had been in her sick bed.

As the last tribal members trickled in, Impa took a deep breath and came around to the open side of the casket. It was a nice day and the corpse was still fresh, so the tribe left the casket partially open. They covered the wounds in her chest and stomach, and then put some makeup on her face to make it more lifelike. Roses and other scented flowers were scattered around to mask the scent of the three corpses. This didn't cover the stench completely, but it was sufficient.

Impa had not actually looked at her mother's face yet. She had been afraid to, in her current emotional state. It was time, though. All the tribal members bowed their heads and averted their eyes as the new Tribal Leader looked down at the open coffin. Lying inside was a woman of fifty and three years. Her silver hair had gone completely white at a young age, like Impa's was doing. She had the sheikah eye tattooed in red on her forehead. The teardrop traced all the way down the bridge of her nose and landed in the middle of her chin.

Sure, there were crow's feet at the corners of her eyes and smile lines around her mouth, but she was still a stunningly beautiful woman. If her bare arms were showing, they would be covered in sheikah tribal tattoos as well, and they would be well-toned for woman of her age. Impa frowned and her knuckles turned white as she gripped the rim of the casket. Tikala had the best years of her life ahead of her. Sheikah were traditionally long-lived due to their strict dietary restrictions and physical fitness. She should be chiding Impa for kissing the princess and then helping her figure out what happened and how to fix it. She should come into her room later on that night to ask what the kiss had been like and what the princess was like and to secretly assure her that Zelda would come around and everything would work out just as the goddesses had planned. Instead, Tikala lay in a coffin about to be lowered into the earth, just another casualty at the beginning of a war. Thanks to Kishla and whatever master the traitor served, the Sheikah Tribal Leader was dead. Impa's mother was dead.

Impa swallowed the tears back, curling her hands into fists that shook at her sides. When she was sure she could speak calmly, she turned around to address the tribe. "I will keep this brief, as I know you all are grieving just as much as I am," she started. "Tribal Elder Tikala was a passionate woman who loved life and all the creatures in it. She sought to bring harmony and unity into the world, and to bring our tribe back to the earth and back to its roots. The Sheikah Tribe has had no better leader in generations, or so the elders told her. Our tribe has seen exponential growth and prosperity under her guidance. She was taken much too soon from us, and by such violent and horrible circumstances. It is natural for us to wonder what might have become of the tribe under the golden twilight of her leadership, but we will never know." Impa's voice trailed off. Around her, she could see the accusation in the faces of her tribesmen: _you were at the castle with Kishla, why didn't you stop her? The crown thinks you're a traitor, so aren't you? Did you work with Kishla to murder your own mother? It's your fault. Your fault, Impa. Traitor…murderer. Aren't you? _

Across from her, standing at the front of the crowd in a small, black dress, Ruto smiled at her a little.

Taking consolation in the presence of her one supporter, Impa took a deep breath and continued. "I will lead an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Kishla's betrayal and the murders of Tikala and the two council members, Elder Sarahi and Councilman Zara. We will discover the truth of what happened and root out any of Kishla's supporters. Since you are all gathered here, I will tell you up front: if you come forward now, it will go easier on you than if I have to root you out myself." She leveled a glare around the gathered tribesmen, and they lowered their accusing eyes to the ground. Impa had a reputation as a fierce warrior, and none of them wanted to pick a battle with her in the open. "So be it. Then I will say the closing rites."

Impa stepped back from the coffin, made the sign of the Triforce over herself, and opened her hands to either side, palms open to the sky. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back in prayer. "Holy Triune Goddesses," she started, "filled with mercy, dwelling in a land of light beyond the Sacred Realm, bring proper rest beneath the wings of the Raven as he shepherds Tribal Leader Tikala, Elder Sarahi, and Councilman Zara to join the ranks of the faithful. Illuminate our troubled hearts like the brilliance of the skies so that we understand that they who lie here are joining the great multitude of our beloved and blameless who have gone to their eternal place of rest. May the Raven, who is the vehicle of Nayru's mercy, shelter them beneath his wide wings and bind their souls to himself in his eternal flight, that they may rest in peace.

Remember, O Nayru and Farore, the Goddesses of Spirits and of all Flesh, that we are your faithful people. We stand as watchmen to the doors of eternity. We are the guardians of your special children the hylians, the gracious Goddess Hylia, and the Mysterious One who carries the Noble Spirit of the Hero. Through watching over the bloodline of the House of Hylia, rulers of Hyrule, and through faithful vigilance to foresee the coming of He who Possesses Courage in the Darkest Hours, we have borne our duty faithfully. Remember us and give rest to our dead in the afterlife as they rise to join you in your Holy Place, in your kingdom, in the delight of Paradise, from whence pain and sorrow and sighing have fled away, where the light of your holy countenances visit them and always shine upon them.

O great Din, who on this saddest of days will be graciously pleased to accept propitiatory prayers for those who seek passage to that holy land, you who promise us who are held in bondage great hope of release from the vileness of this earth that hinders us and did hinder Tribal Leader Tikala, Elder Sarahi, and Councilman Zara, from obtaining a more perfect union with the Holy Three, send down your consolation and the strength of your black wings. Establish their souls in the fields and feasts of the faithful who have passed before, and graciously vouchsafe unto them peace and pardon. Lastly, send your consolation unto the hearts and souls of those of us who remain. Increase our steadfast love for you and our faith in the Three, for the dead shall not praise thee, O Goddesses. They who await the holy messenger, the Raven, to raise them to your holy place shall not bring you glory. But we who are living will bless you, and will pray, and will offer you propitiatory prayers and sacrifices for their souls. Goddesses, in your mercy, hear our prayers."

"Hear our prayers," the Sheikah echoed.

Impa opened her eyes, but kept her hands out, palms upward and open in invitation. "Please, take this time to share your memories of our dead. Share stories of their good faith and watchfulness that their souls may be smiled upon and shepherded to the Land of Eternal Peace where the Triune Goddesses wait and watch. Raise your voices so that their messenger and shepherd, the Holy Raven, may hear." This was when the food was brought out in celebration and invitation. It was believed that if good stories were shared in a welcoming environment, the Shepherd would feel more welcome. A Raven would descend among them and take the souls of the dead upon his strong wings to the Holy Land.

It was late into the night when the first Raven came among them. They continued feasting and celebrating the lives of the dead until the second and third ravens descended. Silence fell in the presence of the carrion birds. They ate of the food on the table and hobbled among the Sheikah Tribesmen, and then they flew away. The souls of the dead would be taken. All was well.

Rising from their table, the Sheikah closed the caskets on the bodies—devoid of the spirits who once inhabited them—and lowered them into the ground. Once the dirt had been packed over the bodies, each Sheikah helped to move the Celebration of Life feast into the great hall. Most of the tribe went there to finish eating, talking, and enjoy the company of those who remained. Many tribesmen walked over to the survivors of Elder Sarahi and Councilman Zara, Impa noticed, but only a few came over to half-heartedly console her.

Sighing, resigned to their suspicion, Impa slipped away by herself. She walked through the empty streets of the small village to Tikala's house, her own childhood home. It was a modest house containing two small bedrooms and a central living area. Her mother decorated it with earthy colors. She had a few wooden sculptures depicting Ravens, a central image in Sheikah culture and decoration, or women and men in elegant positions. She was always an admirer of natural beauty, whether that was the beauty of the earth or the beauty of the creatures and people who walked the earth.

Standing in their home, the new Tribal Leader could see that her mother had removed some of Impa's childhood stuff in favor of having more paintings from her favored artists and other abstract, earthy decorations around the house. Still, when the sheikah wandered back to her old room she found that her mother had kept the second bedroom ready for Impa to sleep in when she visited. The little gesture made her smile. No matter how long she had been gone, she had always had a home with her mother when she returned to Kakariko.

"Knock knock?" Impa blinked and poked her head out of the bedroom. Ruto was standing in the middle of the living space with her hands cupping her elbows. "Door was open," she said, gesturing behind her.

"It's okay," Impa said, coming out to join the zora. She went to their ice box and pulled out a couple chilled juices. "Not much in here but apple juice just thawing from last fall. Mom kept some on hand for guests." She handed one to Ruto, and they sat on the couch together.

They were quiet while Impa looked down at her juice, and Ruto looked around at the house. "So, this is where you grew up, huh?"

Impa nodded. "Yep. There's not much to it. I know. It's really small."

Ruto picked up one of the throw pillows and smiled. "It's…charming," she said. "She had great taste in decorating. Too bad it didn't rub off on her daughter." She smiled genuinely, and the sheikah appreciated it. Shallowness would have been hard to grit down right about now. The truth was that Impa was starting to like Ruto more and more. The zora princess has been faithful in her assertion that she would keep Impa company. She had been there, not too far away, from the moment they rolled into town, through both the ceremony and the funeral, and then here.

"You know, you don't have to stick by my side every moment," Impa said. "I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself."

Ruto stood up and started wandering around the house. "I know," she said as she examined some of the artwork closer. "Hey, this one almost looks like…"

Impa stood up and walked over to the painting the princess was looking at. She sighed. "Zelda. It is her."

Ruto raised an eyebrow. "Stalking the little princess—oops, queen—were you?"

Impa rolled her eyes. "No. Mom's favorite artist met the princess a couple years ago and he was so amazed that he did a whole series of interpretations of her face. Mom bought her favorite one of the series to…"

When she trailed off, Ruto reached over and hooked her pinky finger through the sheikah's. "To?" she prompted. Impa looked at the portrait, and her face scrunched up in pain.

"To stand as a reminder…" she whispered. "That our lives are not our own. That the sheikah live and breathe for the sole purpose of serving the goddess reincarnate—Zelda. It is our divinely-assigned duty, for the rest of eternity, until the last breath of the last Sheikah is spent. This…this particular painting…" she reached up and gestured to the way the strokes were short and rapid, yet flowed together in a harmony, and the way the artist leaned toward airy colors and winged figures behind the queen. "Mom loved it because she felt it particularly brought out the goddess's lineage in the princess. Queen. In the queen."

Ruto raised an eyebrow. "So, every Sheikah believes that the sole reason for their existence is service to the reigning monarch of Hyrule? What a deal."

Impa shook her head. She turned away from the painting, unable to look at it. "Not any monarch," she said. "Just Zelda. Each Zelda in the line of Hylian Queens, and only them." She walked back over to the couch and sat down, drinking some of her juice and staring at the opposite wall. "We're not generally supposed to fall in love with her though, or kiss her. That's generally frowned upon."

Ruto kept walking around and looking, as if trying to figure out how to approach this situation. The zora princess and the sheikah Tribal Leader were becoming fast friends, but they still didn't know one another very well. "I suppose falling in love with the next Zelda prevents her from having the one after that, thereby ending your way of life…am I close?"

Impa nodded. "It is a unique kind of betrayal…but not one that can't be worked around, for sure. There are ways to make sure the queen has the baby necessary. Just not pleasant ways for either the Zelda or the sheikah in question."

"Are the sheikah guardians given to the crown always female?" Ruto asked.

"Yes," Impa answered. "Hey, look, I appreciate you coming and I appreciate your interest, but I don't really want to talk about our traditions tonight. I need to get mom's affairs straightened out."

Ruto nodded. "Okay," she said, moving toward the door. "I'll return to my house. Thank you for settling me down, by the way. It's nice."

Impa walked to the door with the Zora princess. "It should be," she said. "It's the royal suite. Usually Zelda and the rest of the royal house use it. You are a royal too, though, so the tribe doesn't mind."

Ruto laughed. "Well, I guess as long as the TRIBE doesn't mind…" she shook her head. "You're all really up tight, aren't you?" Before Impa could answer, Ruto waved her hand in dismissal. "Never mind, not the right time. Look, thanks for the juice. If you need, you know where I am."

Impa nodded. "Thanks for your support, Ruto, and your company," she said. Once the zora princess was gone, Impa started gathering her mother's things in order to begin settling her affairs. There were few affairs to settle. Her mother had been the Tribal Leader for most of her life, having received the title through prophecy at a young age when the previous leader had been killed before naming his successor. Since she was so young when she took the heavy responsibilities, the tribe had adopted her as belonging, in a way, to all of them. She never wanted for food, clothing, or housing. The position of Tribal Leader came with enough money to live modestly off of, so she never wanted for her own spending money. She also never wanted for love, as the whole tribe was her family. On a purely administrative level, there wasn't many investments or paperwork or other such things to settle because of this lifestyle. On a personal level, however, Impa knew that once their suspicion was rooted out there would be many, many families to visit with and many personal debts to settle.

There was ONE thing that Impa was particularly curious about right now, however. She pulled out an old chest hidden in the back of her mother's closet and brought it to the living room. Blowing off the dust, she looked at the box curiously. She never really saw her mother open it, and she had always been curious about it, but Tikala has forbidden her to touch it. Finally, Impa thought, she would know what it was that her mother found reason to hide in her life of openness.

The lid creaked when she opened it. Inside, the chest was musty smelling and full of dust. Reaching through the cobwebs, Impa pulled out the top handful of items. She had to blow the dust off of them before she could see what they were. When she did, however, she saw that she had a handful of old pictographs in her hand. "Curious," she said to herself. She set the pictographs on the couch beside her and pulled out the rest of them.

Settling back with her bottle of juice, Impa picked up the pictograph on top. There she saw a much younger version of her mother. She was standing in the castle, that much was apparent right away. What was surprising to Impa wasn't WHERE she was standing—it was WHO she was arm in arm with: the previous Zelda, Kishla's previous ward and the current Queen Zelda's mother. Impa looked closer at the women in the picture: this Zelda had darker hair that hers, closer to an auburn color, and her eyes were a lighter shade of blue. She was very young, obviously still a princess, and a large smile was on her face. Her arm snaked around the waist of an equally-young Tikala. The pictograph's colors were fading—it was amazing that they were in color at all—but Impa could tell that her mother was blushing.

Impa set down the pictograph and picked up the next one. This one was the two women again, but this time they were lounging at Lake Hylia in swimsuits. Tikala's hair was down and hanging free about her shoulders. Their hands touched on the beach blanket beneath them. Impa picked up the next pictograph, and the next. Each pictograph was either of them together, or just the princess. They aged through them, month by month, over the course of a few years Impa guessed. As time progressed, they seemed to get farther apart, but there was always a kind of intimacy just beneath the surface. Their pinkies touching. A look one of them was giving the other. One of them wearing something that obviously belonged to the other. The look of having just jumped apart, or was Impa just imagining that? As the new sheikah Tribal Leader was flipping through the pictographs again, she started to notice someone else hidden in many of them: somewhere in the background usually, or on the side, a younger Kishla, perhaps in her late thirties or early forties, stood looking increasingly dour.

Setting these aside, Impa reached back into the chest. There, she found some letters wrapped in string, and something soft wrapped in brown paper. Impa took out the soft item first. Unwrapping it, she found a black cloak embroidered with intricate designs and the insignia of the Royal House of Hyrule. Wrapped up inside it was a little piece of paper on which a note was written in the finest, most elegant handwriting. "_To keep you warm when my arms cannot._"

Impa's eyes widened. _No_… she thought. She wrapped the cloak back up and set it and the pictographs back in the empty chest. Untying the string that held the letters together, the sheikah flipped through them to find the one that was dated earliest and opened it up. "My dearest Tik," it started. "I know you said not to write you, but I could not help myself. I have had so much fun getting to know you. You are like the sister I never had. Were it in my power I would never let you leave the castle, but I know you have duties of your own leading the Sheikah. You work so hard and all I do is study and get pampered by my servants. My mother and father will not allow me to help them with anything. They fear that I will not manifest any gifts if have not already, and I think they resent me because of it. Look, I will not occupy your time any longer. I just wanted to thank you for visiting and beg you to come again soon. I have not felt so alive in years as I have with you, and I cannot get you off of my mind it seems. Please write me back soon, or else I should die from worry over you. Yours, Princess Zelda."

As Impa read through the letters, a story unfolded that shocked her to the core. Young infatuation between the future queen and the young sheikah had evolved into friendship as the young tribal leader found reasons to go the castle to meet with the young princess. That friendship quickly grew into love, and was quickly hidden. The letters grew secretive and coded, difficult to decipher for Impa, but much of the code was based on Sheikah shorthand and Impa could make out enough of the letters' content to know that Zelda and Tikala had fallen madly in love…and, eventually, as they grew into adulthood and pressure started to come upon the maturing hylian princess to date and marry, the two women had become physically intimate.

The letters stopped here for a long time. There was only one letter left, and it was dated several years after the previous letter. The letter was a long one, speaking of trivial matters of court and mentioning how much the princess missed Tikala. Soon, however, it took a twist that Impa wasn't really expecting. The princess spoke of her arranged marriage with the much-older Duke of Lanayru, Duke Daphnes. She said that he was a kind man and had a good head for business, which she appreciated because she had never had much interest in the politics of ruling. She thought he would make a good king someday, but she said that her betrothal was a direct result of Kishla's betrayal of her confidence. Zelda wished that Kishla would have just minded her own business and never said anything to the King and Queen, and that Kishla was just jealous because they had never had the same closeness that the previous Zeldas and their bodyguards normally had. Zelda begged for Tikala to write her back, insisting that they could find a secret place to meet, and that the engagement was actually a good thing. After all, the princess wrote in the letter, once she married and she was queen no one could tell her not to meet with the Sheikah Tribal Leader. They could continue their love affair forever, if only Tikala would agree to keep their love a secret from everyone, and to please, please write back.

Judging from the fact that there were no more letters, Impa could only assume that her mother had not written back. "I love you to the moon and back, Tiki," the princess wrote as a closing to the letter, and then signed it "yours forever, Sheik the Shadow." Impa recognized this as the code name that they had given to the princess just in case someone intercepted one of the letters. It was the same name that her mother had used for the hero of the bedtime stories she had told Impa as a child, stories about a Princess of Hyrule who had to hide in disguise to prevent herself being discovered by the Evil Prince of Darkness. It was the same name that Impa herself had given to her own Zelda, thinking, innocently, to hide her from the public when they were out. Normally the content of the princess's letters were more coded and they could have passed as belonging to some random sheikah. The princess didn't usually come right out and say the names of nobles or her parents openly, as she had in this letter. Judging from the water marks and the shaky handwriting, however, Impa guessed that the princess had been more emotionally distraught when writing it than she let on in the beginning.

Impa folded the letter up and tied it up with the rest of the letters. Putting the bundle back in the old chest, she closed it and went to find a lock and key. Once it was locked safely and the key had been hidden on her own person, Impa got up and put the chest back where she found it. Feeling numb, she sat on her knees and stared at the closed closet door. Her mother and Zelda's mother had been in love? Not just in love, but physically intimate, and kept it hidden from everyone they knew. Impa had not even known that her mother had been attracted to women at all, let alone had a love affair with the former queen herself. Not only that, but their love affair was found out and broken up by Kishla, of all people.

Impa's mind was churning, puzzle-pieces of her life fitting together in ways she had not thought to make them fit. Her mother told her that her father was a one-time fling that happened because she was heartbroken over someone else. Although the fling had been a bad idea, she never regretted it because he gave her Impa. Impa was the best thing that had happened in her life, she said. But that fling was the only relationship her mother had ever spoken of. Impa had never seen or heard of her have any interest in anyone else, of either gender. Tikala's entire life had been devoted to her tribe and her daughter—at least on the surface. As Impa thought back, however, a memory tickled at the back of her mind. It was one of her earliest memories. She remembered being present in an official meeting between the Queen of Hyrule and her mother. She was maybe around five and her memory was fuzzy, but she remembered it because the Queen had just had a baby and her mother was very angry. She had never seen her mother so angry either before or after that moment. It made sense, now, why Tikala would have been angered by that.

An idea started forming in Impa's mind. What if Kishla's jealousy wasn't just expressed in that one act of betrayal? Sure, she betrayed the young couple's love affair back then, and the King and Queen made their young daughter marry against her will as a result of it. But there had to be something more than just 'why is Zelda closer with this other sheikah than with me?' or worry over the succession of Hyrule. In order for a sheikah of her rank and spiritual ability to betray two Zeldas and her own tribe, there had to be something deeper. But what was it, and what had she done because of it? Impa couldn't put the pieces together. She felt like she was missing some key parts of the puzzle. If she could figure out what those pieces were, then she could figure out Kishla's motivation and, perhaps, her plans. If Impa could figure out the truth behind Kishla's betrayal, then she could clear her image in both the eyes of the sheikah tribe and in Zelda's eyes. She could regain her honor.

"I love watching you think," came a soft voice behind her.

Impa stood up and spun around in the same movement. Standing in the doorway to her mother's room was a figure that the sheikah tribal leader couldn't believe she was seeing: a small, slightly-built woman dressed in a full sheikah bodysuit with four kunai strapped to her outer thighs. She had long, silky blond hair braided and wrapped, with a full turban on her head and a facial wrap covering her lower face. Despite her sheikah attire, however, this woman's blue eyes were sparkling with mirth.

"Zelda?" Impa breathed, standing in the middle of the room with her hands hanging limply, dumbly at her sides. "Wha—what are you doing here? How…you're the queen now! Why?"

"The name is Sheik, remember?" said the queen. She sauntered over to Impa, her hips swaying and her steps cocky, confidant. She placed her hands on Impa's hips and pulled her forward until the fronts of their bodies touched. Belly to belly, breast to breast, Impa's heart started beating harder and her breath quickened. What the hell was happening?

"Why…how…none of that matters," Zelda said, her voice muffled by the face wrap. "The point is that I want you back. I need you. I have missed you terribly, my sweet sheikah."

Impa's mind was screaming with protests and questions, but as she opened her mouth to speak Zelda placed one wrapped, manicured finger over her lips. Turning that same finger around, she used it to pull her facemask down around her neck. "I have wanted to taste your mouth again so badly," the queen whispered, leaning forward as she spoke. She captured Impa's protests with her lips. The kiss was hungry and passionate, lip on lip, tongue on tongue. Zelda's hands roved over Impa's body, finding the gaps in her clothing and slipping inside touch her skin. Her touch was hungry, as if this would be her last chance to ever touch the sheikah woman like this. As if there would be no tomorrow, and all they had was tonight.

Still kissing, "Sheik" moved the tribal leader back toward the bed. She broke the kiss and pushed the slightly older woman down onto it, crawling on after her. Impa scooted backwards, her eyes wide. She was both terrified and eager at the same time. When Zelda got close, however, she just pulled Impa into her arms. Holding one another, the queen leaned her forehead against Impa's. She was smiling and twirling Impa's braid around her finger. "I love you to the moon and back…" she whispered.

Impa woke up. Her eyes shot open and she looked around the house, but it appeared to be empty. She was still sitting on the couch with the last letter limp in her fingers, the open chest on the floor in front of her. Her whole body was covered in a cold sweat. When she sat up, the back of her damp clothes stuck to the couch. "It was just a dream," she said to herself. Unconvinced, however, Impa put the letters away in the chest and walked through the rooms of the house. She was, indeed, alone, and everything was exactly as she had left it.

Impa locked the chest and put it away, as she had in the dream. When she stood up this time, there was no sheikah-dressed queen waiting for her. Impa crossed to her own room and started pulling the beads and braids out of her hair. She tugged a little harder than normal, frustrated by her own dream. Once her hair was down, she dragged a brush through it and went to lie down in her bed.

Impa tossed and turned for a while. Every little creak of the house or sound outside set her nerves on edge and her mind on full alert. It was as if her body was expecting the queen to walk in at any moment, but it wasn't going to happen. Not to mention that fact that every time she closed her eyes, she could almost feel Zelda's lips again, so warm and inviting as they moved against her own. Finally, after about an hour of this, Impa knew she wasn't going to get any sleep that night and she got up. She dressed in some fresh clothes and locked the front door behind her when she left the house.

In the main hall, there were still some people partying late into the night. Impa could hear someone playing a lone pipe and a few people laughing, probably dancing. Some were trickling back to their own homes or already there. The tribal leader meant to walk aimlessly through the cool late-spring night and watch for the blink of the fireflies around her. Her mind drifted back to her dream as she walked. She remembered Zelda's hands as they touched her skin and the way her hips moved when she strutted across the room. She remembered the taste of Zelda's mouth. It was the most vivid, and most disturbing, dream she had ever had.

Beyond that, however, Impa found herself remembering her own thoughts. In the dream she had started putting together some ideas paralleling Kishla's current betrayal and her older betrayal. She was walking toward Ruto's door as the memory of her dream hypothesis came back to her. It was a good hunch, she thought, and maybe even likely to work, depending on what she found out. Going with it, Impa changed trajectory and headed toward one house she knew would accept her at this hour, even now.

After Impa knocked, it was only a moment before a man in his late-fifties opened the door. "Hey, Impa, it's pretty late," he said, squinting at her and rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Do you mind, Uncle?" she asked. "I couldn't sleep, and I had some questions about mom."

The man nodded and opened the door the rest of the way. "Of course I don't mind. Come on in." He closed the door again once Impa was inside and ushered her into the kitchen. She sat down at the ornate oaken table, while the man went about getting her something to eat. He was always trying to feed her something, and it made her smile that some things never changed. Letaln wasn't really her uncle. He had been her mother's best friend since childhood. They were like brother and sister, so Impa had taken to calling him uncle a long time ago and it had just stuck. He was married to a very pretty wife and had three strapping boys of his own at various stages of development, but he had always treated Impa as if she really were his niece.

"So," he said, setting a sandwich and some water in front of her, "what do you want to know about your mom that you don't already?" He smiled when he said that. Impa and her mother had been more like sisters than mother and daughter. They shared everything.

Impa smiled too, but it was a sad smile. "Uncle…I've come to ask about Zelda."

He looked confused. "The new queen? Why, I don't know anything about her. You know more about her than I do. Though, if she is dumb enough to think _you_ would ever betray her then I don't know about her being the holder of the Triforce of Wisdom."

Impa smiled genuinely to hear his immediate support. "Thanks uncle," she said. "But I wasn't talking about her. I was talking about her mother." A few emotions shot very quickly over his face. Surprise, confusion, realization, and then his face became carefully blank. "You knew, didn't you?" Impa asked.

Letaln shook his head. "I have no idea what you're alluding to. I don't know anything about the late queen."

Impa raised an eyebrow. "Come on, you can't lie to me. And anyway, I opened the chest. I already know."

The older sheikah man sighed. His shoulders drooped. "Tiki told me never to tell," he mumbled. "I'm the only one she confidedthat particular story in…gosh, we haven't spoken of it in years. I don't know what I can tell you that you haven't already read."

Impa took a bite out of the sandwich and washed it down with some water. "You can start with everything."

"I don't know why it matters," Letaln muttered. He was like a teenager again being put on the spot in a test. "It's ancient history."

Impa looked down at the table. "Sometimes history repeats itself."

Letaln dragged his fingers through his thinning hair. "Okay," he said. "Well, if you've read the letters then you know the basics. They met at an official thing. New Sheikah Tribal Leader, meet future Queen of Hyrule. But they clicked right away, and soon they were both infatuated. Your mom had this unshakable sense of duty, though, and she wouldn't do anything. It was Zelda who made the first move. She had seen people hold hands and kiss around the castle, so she knew what that was. She was a lot more outgoing than the current Zelda. Well, one day they were out on a late night walk when all of a sudden she just took Tiki's hand, pulled her close, and kissed her. She said she'd been wanting to do that for months. That's when they started becoming romantically involved. Your mom was the first one to say 'I love you' and Zelda said it back right away. Tiki told me that the princess had said that standing there with nothing but starlight and moonlight in her silver hair, she looked like some moon goddess come to earth. That's where the phrase at the end of the letters came from. Love you to the moon and back."

Letaln got up and poured himself a glass of water. Coming back to the table, he took a drink and continued. "Their relationship escalated rather quickly. It was so forbidden and so foreign to both of them. Neither of them had thought about being attracted to girls before they met each other, but there it was. They were crazy for each other. The princess would sneak to the village dressed as a sheikah. She'd call herself Sheik and spend time with your mom. At the castle they thought that she was just strengthening the royal family's political bonds by becoming friends with the abnormally-young Tribal Leader, so they were all for it. They never suspected…but Kishla knew."

Impa leaned forward. "How long did she know? What do you know of her feelings about it?"

Letaln leaned back in his chair and scratched his head. "Well, when _did _she find out? Zelda was always slipping her to meet Tiki in secret. But it was hard to keep anything a secret from Kishla. She had the sight, you know? She might have known from the beginning. But she confronted your mom with it shortly after the night they…" he trailed off and looked at Impa like a cornered animal. "Come on, Impa, don't make me talk about this. What does it matter anyway?"

Impa reached across the table and took his hand. "It might help me clear my name," she said. "Please."

Letaln sighed again. "If it will help clear you…but I still think there are something things you just don't need to know about your mother's life. Just to have that on the record."

Impa nodded. "Your reluctance to tell me about my mother's sex life is duly noted and appreciated."

"Fine. Thank you. Well, the princess was here visiting when it happened. Tik told me afterward. None of the gory details, you know, but she was on cloud nine. They had been either friends or actually together for only a couple years. Zelda's parents were starting to pressure her to see suitors, and if they were going to keep hiding their relationship then she had to start seeing and pretending to be interested in men. One of these arranged dates went really bad and the guy kissed Zelda against her will. Kishla got him off before he could do more and threw him out, but Zelda had never kissed anyone but your mom and she was really upset. She left to come here right away. Again, I don't have all the details here, but what I understand is that the princess didn't just want your mom to kiss her and make it better. She was curious and young and frustrated and pent up all the time, and she wanted more…so Tik gave her what she wanted. All of it. They were each other's first, and they discovered things together. Tikala…she wasn't the same after that. Things changed. It wasn't semi-innocent kissing anymore, and they had something really serious to hide. She felt like she was doing something really wrong by making love with the future Queen of Hyrule. Heck, Impa, she _was_ doing something wrong. But they were old enough to marry, and they were in love. I told her to go for it and screw the politics. What would they do, cut ties with the sheikah tribe? They can't afford that. We do too much for them."

Impa closed her eyes and nodded, rubbing her temples. "Yeah, list of things I didn't want to know: how romantic my mom's first time was. Thanks for the warning." Despite how gross it was to hear about her mother's sex life, she knew how it was to feel like you were doing something wrong. Luckily her Zelda wasn't even close to marrying age, and it would never go that far between them. Especially not now. "Anyway, when did Kishla come in to this?"

"Well," Letaln said, taking another sip of water. "Kishla approached her one day, out of the blue, and said that she knew and if Tikala didn't end it then she would be forced to act. Your mom told her to shut her trap and keep her 'eye' to herself, and that was an order. It wasn't an order that Kishla was okay with."

"What makes you say that?" Impa asked.

Letaln took another drink of water. "Well, observation of course." Seeing that Impa wanted him to continue, he explained deeper. "You see, Impa, your mom getting the Tribal Leadership when she was practically still a child…well, it was really out of nowhere. Raskan was established and doing okay, but he hadn't named a successor in an unusually long time. Rumors were flying around as to who it would be. Everyone suspected Kishla. She was the protector for two Zeldas, Zelda the thirteenth briefly in her old age and Zelda the fourteenth in her youth. She was one of the sheikah's best warriors, and she had mastered the art of seeing the truth at a young age. Her advice was sought out by the highest men and generals at court. Everyone, or at least just about everyone, thought that Kishla would be named successor. She was the most natural choice."

"So what happened when Raskan was killed?" Impa asked. She had finished her sandwich and was relaxing back in the wooden chair.

"His last words are what happened," Letaln said. "Three people near him heard as clear as day: Raven's Choice."

Impa's brow furrowed. Raven's choice was a ceremony of fasting and prayer in which the whole tribe sought for Raven to show them the way. It was used when a big decision had to be made that affected the whole tribe. They sought for the Raven to bring down the Goddesses' decision, a prophecy. "Raven's choice…but if it was obvious that it should have been Kishla, then why?"

Letaln shrugged. "I was young too. I don't know. Point is that the ravens chose your mom, and Kishla was never happy about it. Your mom was a kid. Even when she grew up, Tikala was a wildcard. She was willful and passionate, attributes that our tribe was sorely missing back then. Kishla could never see how that kind of passion could be good in a leader. She always wanted the sheikah tribe to be more distant and cold, removed from the world and the affairs in it. She wanted us to be as insubstantial and dark as shadows. Your mom, though, saw the truth of it: that shadows move as the light does. Sure, they're subtle and sneaky, as we are. But they're also flexible and passionate. She breathed new life into the tribe. She made us relevant to the country and the world again."

Impa was quiet for a while as she processed. Kishla was supposed to be the next tribal leader, before the Raven chose Tikala instead. They represented two opposite visions for the future of their tribe. One, cold and distant, the other, passionate and relevant. Impa could see how that might cause some inherent resentment to grow in the old sheikah woman, especially when Tikala started intruding on territory she believed to be hers: the castle, and its young princess. "What did Kishla do when she found out that mom and the princess were continuing their love affair?" Impa asked.

Letaln shook his head and sighed. "She told the King and Queen. She had been the queen's guard for a little while, before Zelda the Fourteenth was born, and she still had Zelda the Thirteenth's ear from time to time. The King and Queen brought in their daughter and demanded the truth. The princess admitted everything, and said that she passionately loved your mother and wanted to marry her. The Queen and the King wouldn't hear of it—the succession was as stake. They forbade Tikala and Zelda to have any contact. In fact, they forbade the young princess from seeing _any_ women at all. They interviewed young suitors on her behalf. Often the princess wasn't even present. When they found Duke Daphnes to be the best option as a ruler for the Kingdom, knowing their daughter would likely not do much ruling, they declared the match official and the rest is history. Your mother never spoke with Zelda the Fourteenth or Kishla again, except for once. When Zelda the Fourteenth became queen and was impregnated, she called your mother to court. She proposed that a pact be made between our two governments to repair the rift that had grown between us: Tikala's young daughter, Impa, was known through prophecy to be on a warrior's path already. An agreement was made that when you were of age and skill, you would replace Kishla as guardian of the new princess, the then-unborn Princess Zelda the Fifteenth. This was in keeping with the visions seen by the Sheikah Council of Elders concerning your destiny, and your mother agreed. Kishla was present to see that this agreement would be upheld, and she did."

All the air felt as if it had left Impa's chest. "So…I didn't get the appointment on my own merit?" Impa asked. "I wasn't really chosen because I showed any promise or skill? It was simply two women trying to make up through their children?"

Letaln frowned. "Now, Impa, don't look at it that way…"

Impa stood up from the table. She was getting angrier by the moment, but she kept her voice down for the sake of the rest of the family sleeping in the other rooms. "What other way is there to look at it, uncle? My mother and the late queen couldn't love each other like they wanted to, so they set it up so that their daughters might have the same opportunity? Was that their intention? Or was it purely political? And here I thought that I was chosen to guard her because I was more skilled than others. I thought that I had earned it on my own merit. What a joke." She stalked toward the door, fuming. Letaln followed after.

"Impa," he said. "Please, don't take it like this. I never thought you'd be angry. It was prophesied."

Impa turned with one hand on the door. "No," she said through gritted teeth. "It wasn't just prophecy or politics. It was my life, and my Zelda's life, and it was selfish of them. Now the world is going to have to pay the price. Think about it uncle: if Kishla was jealous of mom and disapproved of her leadership style for most of mom's life, it makes perfect sense to me if she snapped when her own Zelda made her take an oath to break tradition and instill me as her successor. History was to repeat itself, and there was nothing she could do to stop it—except for help someone else take down the whole 'corrupt' dynasty. She was a powerful woman, uncle, and the amount of damage she might have done behind the scenes, given all the secrets she knows and the ears she bent…we're in big trouble. Now I have to see how far she went, how much damage she has done, and what it's going to take to stop it." Impa shook her head and opened the door. Despite herself and her love for her uncle, she still slammed it on her way out.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

**Author's Notes:** So, not gunna lie and say that there was some plot reason for that dream to be in there. Nope. It's in there just because I wanted something awesome between Impa and Zelda to alleviate the sadness going on right now, and I'm not even sorry for it. ;o)

I hope you all like the chapter, and happy October everyone. I'll see you all next month, and, as always, please review.

Until next chapter,

~The Wolfess

****If you enjoy my writing, please check out my major work, the Doppelganger Trilogy. You can find books 1 and 2 completed on my profile.****


	13. Chapter 13

*****ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY****

!

**In Sotto Voce**

_By The Wolfess_

_!_

**Chapter 13**

Hyrule Castle was a flood of activity. Queen Zelda the Fifteenth had every eye and ear running surveillance and reports. She was the central hub around which all of the country buzzed, like the calm eye of a great, swirling hurricane. As the queen managed the influx of information and the war preparations, her bodyguard managed her. He made sure she ate and slept at regular hours, and every now and then he took her out for a couple hours to do something fun. They usually just ended up talking about the war reports and other official topics, but she was growing more and more comfortable with him. Every now and then, the hylian man had even managed to make his ward laugh or smile. She was so somber the rest of the time that he found himself treasuring those moments like a sunny day in winter.

Part of that growing closeness could be attributed to the fact that Link hadn't mentioned Impa since that day in the library, and Zelda hadn't brought her up either. They talked in meetings about the sheikah tribal leader or the zora princess, but everyone knew not to use their names in the queen's presence. There were whispers and rumors behind her back. It had started in the kitchens and the stables, then moved its way up the gossip chain until even the generals had heard them, and kept them in the backs of their minds as they sat on her councils and listened to her speak.

Zelda was aware of the whispers. They spoke of a love affair and claimed that the sheikah had broken the queen's heart. Surely that was why Zelda was so cold now and so irrational. Link didn't think that was true, but he could see that underneath her occasional laugh or smile there was a coldness to her affect, a calculation in her eyes. The sweet Zelda he had gotten to know was suspended somewhere, shoved aside so that the queen could be in control and hold her country together. She knew that each shrewd general and councilman at her table was watching her, waiting for her to break, and as far as Queen Zelda was concerned she would not give them the satisfaction.

Even as these great men danced around their references to the forbidden women, they still prodded as far as they dared. Underneath their courteous observance of Zelda's unspoken restriction, there was one bubbling feeling infecting the discussion at every council: accusation. The claims Zelda leveled against Impa and Ruto were unfounded in everyone's eyes, and the new queen was harming Hyrule's relations with its allies at a time when they couldn't afford it. It was a policy based off of the emotions of a child, and they neither understood nor respected it.

Link didn't fully understand either, but he did know why she couldn't speak their names or hear them spoken by others. He did know why having them around was likely to kill her spirit all together. Unlike the others, Link was privy to a side of the queen that none of them saw: he knew that there was still a young woman full of emotions and feelings underneath the mask of the queen. He heard her crying at nights. Time had passed since Kind Daphnes was killed and Impa and Ruto left, but not that much. It still hurt her like a fresh wound, and since it hadn't healed she was just concealing it. The last thing her country needed was for her to appear like an emotional, weak little girl, and she was doing her best not to be one. She was doing her best to be thirty and mature when she was only sixteen and confused and heartbroken, like any sixteen-year-old had a right to be. She saw that Hyrule needed a warrior queen to defend them, and she would be that queen whether she felt like it or not. It was an admirable trait, but a trait that her council was unable to appreciate.

In addition to the councils and the few outings that Link had coerced her into, Zelda had added one new item to her daily routine. It was a slot of time that she was very particular about, and, Link suspected, growing fond of: she was training to use her battle magic. She was learning quickly, and so far she was showing proficiency. She could channel her light magic with her saber and bow, and her lightning and wind magic with her baton. She was even starting to combine her saber and her bow to develop some very unique techniques. She had already been able to switch between them seamlessly, but she was combing that unique skill with her magic. Her teacher, Rauru himself, was pleased with her progress.

For his part, Link was learning as well. He was learning how to sneak around so that he could hear what was being said around the castle, but he was never as sneaky as Impa had been. He was no sheikah, he was a warrior, and every day he felt more and more pent up inside the high stone walls of the castle. His hands itched for a sword, but all he found were pens and paper. He wanted to hop on Epona's back and ride her around the field, go do some scouting of his own as Impa had originally asked him to, but instead he stood, silent as a statue, at Zelda's side. Some days he found himself wishing that the next battle would just come already so he could _do _something _real_, not stand by watching a beautiful, kind, intelligent woman who could take care of herself _all day_.

Not that he minded watching her all the time, he was just restless. He was also not trying to pay so much attention to Zelda's positive physical and mental attributes. Unfortunately, he couldn't help it. That was his job: to watch her, get to know her, and learn to read her. She was a gorgeous woman. He liked her more and more every day, and sometimes he thought that maybe she liked him to. Sometimes she touched his shoulder or held his hand in public, or smiled at him in a way that he thought might, maybe suggest something more. She always told him and others how much she believed in him. Now was definitely not the right time for such feelings, however, so he pushed it aside and followed her lead, no matter where that lead might take them.

In terms of the war effort, Zelda had sent out a call for all of her allies to come to Hyrule's aid in its time of need. The gorons had arrived right away, and they were now taking up a wing of the castle. Some of the more distant Hyrulian Nobles had also come with their whole household armies as well. That was all, however, and there was no movement from their remaining two allied groups: the Sheikah Tribe and the Zora Nation. Their scouts said that there were rumbles of King Zora joining their forces to the enemies in response to Hyrule's treatment of his daughter, and the sheikahs just stayed holed up in their little town nestled against the foot of the mountain and said nothing. The news was further agitating the rising tensions between the queen and her council on the issue of her previous bodyguard.

About the enemy's numbers and movements, they knew very little. None of the scouts they sent out made it back. What they DID know were all pieces of information that they had learned from Impa's bird messages as they trickled back to the castle. From these birds, so far, they had learned that the enemy forces were trickling in from the Eldin Volcanic Fields and Faron Woods. They were gathering in the desert under a strange banner whose descriptions were vague, but the face of the enemy leadership was still Volga and Wizzro. Luckily, their informants who were now entrenched in enemy lines were able to get birds off to report that they were working for someone, but no one knew what or who. It was a shadow that seemed to guide them in private. Nothing more specific had made it back yet.

The day that the birds stopped, Link got a bad feeling. He sent out more, but after a couple days they hadn't returned. After a couple more days had passed and the birds still weren't coming back, the aviators finally started to refuse sending them. Link gave the report to Zelda at council. The eyes of the generals and councilmen turned to the queen as Link's report finished, wait to see how she would respond.

The queen steepled her fingers in front of her mouth and narrowed her eyes. "If the birds are being killed consistently like this, then I can think of only one thing that could have happened," she said. "My _nursemaid_ is the only one who knows of the birds besides the sheikah tribal leader," she said the word 'nursemaid' with a mocking tone, and the generals chuckled. It was a small thing, but altering their perceptions of the woman they once respected would soften the blow of what she was about to say and, hopefully, work to build a small rapport with them. "If they are being killed, then Kishla has reached the main force. I think that it is safe to assume that our informants are also dead and there will be no more messages forthcoming. My nursemaid was the one person who knew them all, besides the new tribal leader. We will be getting no further information about our enemy's movements, or anything else they used to tell us."

A murmur went around the room. The birds were their only source of information, and if they were gone and their informants dead then Hyrule was blind and ripe for the picking. Zelda was looking around at their faces, gauging their reactions and weighing options in her mind. Link was watching her. He could see the wheels in her mind churning. When he saw the muscles around her temples flex and her jaw set, he knew the conclusion she had come to. Silently, he sent out his support to her.

Queen Zelda held up her hand for silence. The generals and councilmen obliged quickly. Once all eyes were trained on her, the queen spoke. "We know where they are. We have a very rough idea of their numbers. We even have some clues as to what direction they might be moving in. We have already discussed our desire to make an offensive move against them, but we _were_ waiting for the right location. On our doorstep here in Hyrule Field is definitely NOT a desirable location for what we hope will be the final battle."

She paused, took a breath, let it out slowly. Link could see the tension in her shoulders from behind. He knew what that tension meant. It meant that Zelda really didn't want to say what came next. She jumped in anyway, like the queen she was raised to be. "We also know our current position in relationship to that offensive goal. We don't have enough soldiers to be successful in such a campaign, and Link's power alone will not be enough to counter the strength of both the Dragon Knight and the Dark Wizard together. The gorons have come, but even their substantial might will only delay the inevitable. We need…" her voice broke, and Link's breath caught. _Not now,_ he thought for her. _Not here_. She swallowed a little and regained herself. The words poured out of her mouth a little faster than they should. "Our enemies have Kishla, the one person in Hyrule who has served three Zeldas. The one person who knew many of our country's secrets, even better than my father, my mother, or I. This is all true, and yes, it is indeed reason to despair. But I believe that all is not lost without her. We have something just as good: we have the only person in this world that Kishla herself trained: the sheikah tribal leader. We need her and the zora princess back, as well as the nations that rally to them. I...I..."

The oldest general there finished for her. He did not want to make her suffer through saying it herself. "You will send them pardon," he said, knowing it to be true.

Zelda nodded. "Yes. I will send them royal pardons and ask, formally, for their aid."

"What if pardon is not enough?" It was one of the council members who spoke up, a particular upstart named Vanzrir. "After all," he said, leaning back in his chair and folding his hands behind his head. "You accused them of high treason. The _zora princess, _whose name is _Ruto_, was kept in prison and brutally beaten there by her jailors. The _tribal leader_, _Impa_ if I can be so bold, almost single-handedly won the last battle, and yet for a reward you banned her from your service, gave the honor to her best friend who did _nothing_, and then stripped her of her rank and banned her from the castle. What makes you think they will come crawling back just because you have decided that you need them now and you'll forgive them for something they never did to begin with?"

As he spoke, Zelda's hands began to shake first. The tremor worked its way up her arms, and soon her eyes were watering. By the time that he finished, the queen had turned her back so that they would not see her weakness. Despite the harshness of the statement, no one spoke up to correct him or make him stop. They all knew that his words were true, and no matter how much affection they once felt for their princess, they held little respect for the queen she had become. Tired of beating around the bush of this elephant in the room, they all turned their eyes to the queen.

There are moments in life when we decide whether we are going break apart or hold together. A great trial or a great pain comes against us, and something must happen, for better or for worse. Holding together is always more painful. It involves denying a part of ourselves, which can feel like a kind of surrender, in order to become stronger. Like a sword being put in the blacksmith's forge with a stronger metal, we allow our desires and needs to be melted down and burned away. The impurities in us are destroyed, and in their place the essential essence of who we are is melded with the stronger metals. When the fire of this painful process dies down and we come out on the other side, we find ourselves to be so much more than just stronger. We stand taller, we are more beautiful, and we are truer to the person we were destined to become. For everyone has a purpose, a grand design, and every decision we make, every fire we allow to temper us, moves either closer or father away from our own destiny. It is ultimately up to us to make those essential decisions, in those hardest moments of our lives: will I crumble, will I break, will I give in? Or will I stand against the pressure and make it through the fire?

As she stood in that hall with her back to her council, war facing her, and all the odds against both her person and her country, Zelda had a decision and she had no time to make it. Would she break under the pressure of their question, the pressure of what happened with Impa, the pressure of her father's death and her surrogate-mother's betrayal…or would she endure the fire? Link's breath was held with everyone else's as they all waited to see what she would do.

Queen Zelda turned around slowly. Her back was straight, stiff, and her jaw was set. Her hands were still. Her eyes, when they scanned the room, were dry and cool. She had chosen to stand. "Councilman Vanzrir," she said, her voice steady and calm. "Though I do not approve of the tone in your voice, I hear your concern and I understand. I have been acting out of rash emotion because of the sudden and horrifying death of my father, and I have allowed that emotion to control my decisions ever since. That does not give you all a reason to have very much confidence in me as your new ruler. Although having to wash chunks of your father's flesh out of your hair may be a legitimate reason to be emotional," a few of the councilmen flinched at that description, not prepared for her to be quite so frank, "as a ruler, I cannot afford the luxury of the breakdown I have been fending off. You are correct, sir. I have been weak, but Hyrule needs me to be strong, and _you _all need me to be level-headed for the big decisions to come."

All of the councilmen and generals began to nod and murmur sounds of agreement, but Zelda wasn't done. Her eyes hard as steel, her shoulders tense and rigid, she continued. "I will not ask for your forgiveness, and I will not ask for theirs. I stand by my previous decisions under the circumstances at the time and I do not apologize for them. How you feel about that makes no difference. I demand your respect and your fealty. And theirs. I am the descendant of Hylia, the Queen of Hyrule, and each of you swore a vow to serve my line and my house, no matter the exact condition of the ruling monarch, for the love of Goddess and Country. I demand that you honor your vows. Any who turn away from their vows by not supporting me will be considered traitors to the line of Hylia and treated as such. As you know, the penalties for treachery are exile or death. So, gentlemen of the council, in response to your question: the blood of the goddess flows through my veins, as it did in the veins of my mother before me, and her mother before her. I AM Hyrule. They will accept my pardon and come at Hyrule's call, or they will prove that my assertions of their treachery were true. That is their decision to worry about, not mine. I will write the pardons now and send them this afternoon. You, my good councilmen, will get to choose the manner of their delivery. May your choice convey the appropriate message."

With that, she turned and strode out, the click of her heals was as sharp as the clash of swords as it echoed through the hall. Link took one last look at the faces of the men on the war council before he ran after her: they were a mixture of shocked, impressed, surprised, and approving, but none that he could see looked affronted or offended. It may have been a risky move for the queen to make, and a shocking one for them all at that, but the council's first impression told him that it had paid off.

As the men of the war council turned to one another and began to argue in hushed voices, Link ran and caught up with Zelda. She was just leaving the main doors, and she was moving at a rapid pace. When he caught up with her, he fell into step just behind her as the doors closed. "Hey," he asked once they were away from prying eyes, "are you okay?"

Zelda stopped and turned to him, as if surprised that he had spoken at all. Her eyes raked over him from head to toe as if exploring him with a medical scalpel. "I appointed you for your skill and for the impression that I thought your appointment would have on my war council. I did not appoint you for your company, Sir."

Link flinched as if she had smacked him. The queen continued walking, leaving Link standing where he was. After a moment, he shook his head a little and jogged after her. As much as he wanted to just walk away from her then, he had made a vow and he still had a job to do. He fell in step a few paces behind the queen and kept his head down, saying nothing.

Zelda walked straight out to the practice grounds. Once there, she picked up her Glittering Rapier and began to go through her steps. Her movements were agitated and quick, and the bursts of light flying off of her sword got bigger and more dangerous by the moment. Link stayed at a safe distance, backing up as her light attacks got bigger. Just when he thought that she was going to start bringing out her bow and practice her unique bow-sword fighting style, though, she did something that he wasn't expecting. She let out a loud, angry growl and rounded on him, sword leading.

Link's knight sword and shield were in his hands in a flash. He blocked her blow with his shield and jumped back. She shifted and came at him from a different direction, her movements so fast and her attacks so rapid and strong that it was all the knight could do to keep up. He blocked and deflected with sword and shield, he jumped and dodged and flipped, he even used some of his own light magic as a shield against her onslaught of furious attacks, but he would not retaliate against her. She was his queen, and his friend.

They continued like this for a few minutes. When Link still wouldn't attack her, no matter what she tried to do to force him into it, Zelda stepped back. Her face was red and her eyes were moist, but she didn't look sad at all. She looked furious. "_Fight me!_" She shouted, her voice hoarse with anger.

Link raised his shield and sword, but he shook his head. "No. I will not raise my sword against my queen."

Zelda grit her teeth. She stood back in a ready position and seethed at him. "As your queen," she said, "I order you to fight me!"

"No. I will not do it," Link said.

Zelda launched into a flurry of attacks, more forceful and furious than before. Link dodged and deflected as best as he could, but she was pushing him back. She wasn't even using her bow—just the strength and fury in her rapid attacks was enough to push his back into the wall. When Link felt his back press against the cold stone and saw the queen coming right at him, he finally had no choice: he swung back at her. She dodged his attack, but Link kept them coming. Attack by attack, careful step by step, he forced the queen back on the defensive and backed her out into the practice ring. His own blood was hot now, rising in him like a passion that he couldn't push down.

Like a pair of dancers, they fought in circles around the private practice square. No one watched, no one evaluated, no one cheered. They were alone—the queen and her guard—locked in a battle that was one part practice and two parts real. At times it seemed as if Zelda was winning, at times Link. The moment one would gain the upper hand, the other would steal it from them. They fought until they were red faced and exhausted, and then they kept on.

Finally, it was as if their bodies gave out at the same time. Link bent over, shield hanging on his arm and sword dangling in a loose grip in his left hand. Sweat dripped off of the ends of his bangs. Zelda tilted her head back, allowing the cool spring wind to blow over her hot face. Sweat ran down her neck and glistened on her skin. After a moment, she looked at Link with the same cool, hard look she had given him before. "If you cannot defeat me," she said, "how can you hope to defeat Volga and Wizzro? They are beyond you."

Link raised his head. He was angry, and it showed in his face. "That was not a fair competition," he panted. "If I had been allowed to fight someone that I would not be killed for hurting, then I wouldn't have held back. Not to mention that you pulled me _out of training_ to take this empty position. If you had let me finish my training, maybe I would be farther along." Link straitened. He tightened his grip on his sword as he continued, his knuckles turning white on the hilt. "In fact, Zelda, if I can be frank, I don't appreciate being thrown into this position as a retaliation against Impa for whatever you think she did. I know that's why you chose me—because it would hurt her. At least, I know that now. I was so stupid for accepting it in the first place. Silly me, I thought that you actually appreciated my skills. Obviously I was wrong. I'm just some stand in, a replacement, but I don't really fill her shoes for you do I? Did you know, Zelda, that I had other things I wanted to do with my life besides trailing after you? Did it ever occur to you to _ask me_ if I wanted to serve you, rather than just demanding my service? This whole business was underhanded and selfish from the beginning, and you know it."

As Link spoke, small bursts of fire and electricity surged around his feet. It seemed to emanate from his hands, along with trailing bursts of light magic. The queen was so distracted by it, that she didn't even really pay attention to what he was saying. "Link, did you know you could do that?"

Link blinked. "Do what?" Zelda pointed down at his feet, and when he saw the fire and electric magic bursting off of him, he jumped backward. "Woah!" The fire and electricity jumped with him, but as his anger cooled down, so did the new elements. "Woah, that was new. You didn't get hurt, did you Zelda?"

Zelda shook her head. Her expression had grown sad. "No, I am safe. I think that there is more inside of you than you realize, Link. I have always believed that. You just have to reach inside yourself and discover it. Link…I am sorry," her voice had grown soft. She sheathed her rapier and looked down at the ground instead of at the knight's face. "There have been so many emotions and things that I do not understand. I am starting to see that I made emotional decisions after the battle, not sound ones, but I still believe there was logic in them. What Councilman Vanzrir said, what you said…it is all true. Perhaps I am not ready to be queen Link. Perhaps I am not fit to rule."

Link sheathed his weapons as well, and then shrugged. "Maybe that's true," he said, "but I don't think you have a choice, nor more than I do. You called me to service, so I had to serve. Hyrule has called you to rule…so you must rule."

Zelda raised her eyes to him and met his gaze. "I am sorry that I stole your dreams from you," she whispered.

Link nodded and looked away from her, unable to hold her gaze. He rubbed the back of his neck a little. "I'm sorry that you had yours stolen by others," he said. "I don't think that you wanted to ascend to the throne like this." He laughed a little and looked up at her, smiling. "I guess we're both just broken people who have had our dreams stolen, just trying to do what's right."

"I guess that is true," Zelda said. She walked over to him and she didn't quite look him in the eye as she reached out and took his hand in her own. "I…I value your service, and your friendship," she said. "You are an admirable man. A man that any girl would be lucky to have."

The words were stiff, as if they were hard to say, and the contact was awkward. Despite his anger, the knight couldn't help but smile. Link loved that awkwardness in her, despite himself, and he loved how her hair sparkled in the sunlight. Spurred on by a sudden rash hair, a tendril of recklessness left over from their heated, passionate battle, the hylian man stepped closer to the queen and slipped his hand under her chin. He tilted her face up to his. Her eyes were wide and scared, her lips trembling, but Link took that as nerves. She had probably never been kissed before, he thought. As gentle as possible, he leaned in and touched his lips to hers.

As he kissed her softly and slowly, he waited for her body to respond, or for her lips to start moving against his, but they didn't. She was stiff as a board, and her lips were unresponsive to his kiss. He broke off the kiss and leaned back to look at her face, his expression confused. Zelda looked pale and her eyes were wide. Her gaze flickered down to Link's lips, and then back up to the confusion and hurt in his eyes. "I…I am sorry…" she whispered, raising one hand to cover her mouth. Her eyes began to tear up and she shook her head. "I cannot…" Unable to finish the sentence, Zelda turned and ran back into the castle. Link stood in the middle of the queen's private practice square and watched her go.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

**Author's Notes:** Well, one step forward and two steps back. What are you gunna do? Poor Link. Guy can't catch a break. Thanks for reading!

Until next chapter,

~The Wolfess

****If you enjoy my writing, please check out my major work, the Doppelganger Trilogy. You can find books 1 and 2 completed on my profile.****


	14. Chapter 14

*****ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY****

!

**In Sotto Voce**

_By The Wolfess_

_!_

**Chapter 14**

When two packages wrapped in brown paper and sealed with the queen's official wax seal, one large and one small, arrived at the gates to the sheikah village along with the most respected General of Hyrule to deliver them personally, every member of tribe trickled out of their houses into the streets to watch what would happen. Some of them stayed near the hylian man to point the General in the right direction, while others ran ahead to warn Impa. Still others waited outside the hall where the tribal leader was in hopes of overhearing the conversation that would ensue.

Impa was with Ruto and the Sheikah Council pouring over a few old letters and talking in heated tones. Her inquiries had become quite the talk of the small village over the past few days. She went from house to house, person to person, asking pointed questions about Kishla and Tikala and Queen Zelda the Fourteenth. She was digging up old rumors and stories, as well as some newer ones. Some tribal members had been brought before the council to give testimony, including her adopted uncle, and others had been brought before the council for trial. The truth was being discovered, bit by bit, and Impa was leading investigation with the support of the Zora princess.

What Impa had discovered in this process was that everything her Uncle said was true, but only the beginning of a long tale. She had found confirmation for various parts of the story from different tribal members, and each of them told her a little more of what they knew about the past and the days since. In fact, a few of the tribal members who had been close to Kishla had even admitted to knowing of the sheer bitterness that she harbored about the shady deal made between the previous queen and the tribal leader. Some even knew hints about her whispered plans, but they swore that they had assumed that she was just spouting off on old grudges. They encouraged her to pray more, seek the will of the goddesses, and didn't report the behavior.

Impa and Ruto brought all of this before the council to prove that story was true, and the tribal members who had admitted to knowing bits and pieces of Kishla's plans had been punished accordingly for not reporting it. The sheikah who had been guarding the door to the council chamber had been thrown in total lockdown awaiting judgment for allowing the elder to carry weapons into the council chamber, and because cause for suspicion had arisen that the guards were complicit in the act of betrayal. Evidence showed that they might have been planning with Kishla to overthrow the council, but the theory hadn't been confirmed yet. At the very least, they _had_ failed to strip her of her weapons and had to be punished for that recklessness.

The tribal opinion of Impa had grown considerably more positive. Most of the suspicion and doubt about her involvement in the treason and murder enacted by Kishla had been dispelled by the sheer passion and vehemence of her thorough investigation. The diligence and impartiality she was showing to the investigation, as well as her continued vocal support of Hyrule and its Royal Family, went a long way to mending her image. Respect for her leadership capabilities in the eyes of her tribe was growing.

Impa had Ruto partially to thank for her rising popular opinion. In addition to helping with the investigation where she was needed, it turned out that the zora princess knew a lot about how to influence popular opinion. She was more than happy to teach Impa the ins and outs of the more subtle, social parts of being a leader. In the process of helping Impa to repair her image and grow her respect as a leader, Ruto herself had grown quite popular in the tribe. She was a fun-loving new member of the community and acting representative of the zora kingdom on the war trials the sheikah council were holding. All in all, Impa felt like things were going well. The truth had been exposed, the weak links and conspirators were being weeded out and dealt with accordingly, and both she and Ruto had recovered—mostly—from the slander on their names and images within their own tribes that had resulted from Queen Zelda the Fifteenth's rash, unjustified accusations and resulting actions.

The last real hurdle they were struggling to get over was what to do about Hyrule's call to arms. It had arrived by pidgin a few days ago and the sheikah tribal council was split. Some of them felt offended by the disrespect shown to their representative at court—Impa—and the condescending tone in the call to arms sent to them was seen as an additional slander. Others said that whatever slander the queen was putting on them didn't matter because they were honor bound to go anyway. The tribal council was split three ways on what action to take. Some of them asserted that they should aid Hyrule. Others said that Hyrule's offenses to their tribe and its leaders were grievous enough that they should join the enemy. Still others advocated for neutrality, saying that perhaps this war was not something that the sheikah tribe was obligated to take sides in. Really, this was just a way of avoiding either decision all together, and it was a cowardly route that Impa made a mental note of. She would have to address such cowardly leadership on her council when the war was over.

For her part, Impa was torn on how to respond. A part of her agreed that it was their duty to aid Hyrule, no matter what their relationship with the current monarchy was. Another part of her wanted to stay neutral because she was afraid of what might happen when they go to Hyrule Castle to offer their fealty. Will Zelda throw her in the dungeons the moment she sees her? Or, worse, will she act as if everything between them was just stiff and official, as if they had never shared any closeness or special connection at all? The sheikah tribal leader wasn't confident that she could stand either reaction, but she also wasn't sure that she had a choice. She definitely knew that she couldn't let the sheikah tribe give their military support the very people who had assassinated Tribal Leader Tikala, so she was vocal in her disapproval of that course of action. Anti-Hyrule sentiment was not to be taken lightly.

Meanwhile, Ruto had been in contact with her father by water fowl, the particular messengers used by the Zora kingdom. She managed to convince him to join to the sheikah's cause, no matter what decision the council came to, out of love for her. Her father's love for his daughter was endless, and at the end of the day if she wanted to do whatever the sheikah would do, then he would make sure that the entire force of the Zora Army was behind her. Although King Zora himself was unable to come, he was sending his forces downriver to join the sheikahs in Kakariko and follow Princess Ruto as their commander in chief. They were slated to arrive any day now.

The council was in the middle of their latest argument over what course of action to take when the Hyrulian General arrived. His weapons were taken from him before he entered the hall. Once he was admitted inside, he waited by the door patiently for the council and its leader to recognize his presence. It was Impa who noticed him first. She jumped instinctually when she saw him. Her soldier's instincts demanded that she stand at attention. After all, she had been a Hyrulian trainee for a few years. She resisted that impulse though. As the Sheikah tribal Leader, she was no longer on a level at which she was required to pay him fealty.

"General Auru," she said, stepping out from behind the table they had been arguing around. "I won't lie. I am very surprised to see you here." General Auru was one of the older and more respected generals in the army. If anyone was sent to bring a message from the Queen of Hyrule, she would never have expected it to be someone as highly ranked and regarded as him.

Princess Ruto had moved to stand beside Impa, and the rest of the sheikah council formed a line behind them both. They presented a united front to the General, a fact not lost on him. It was clear where their primary loyalties lie. Clearing his throat, the general shifted his unruly packages and bowed much lower than he normally would. "Princess Ruto, Tribal Leader Impa, Sheikah Tribal Council," he started, "thank you for allowing me to come into your presence."

Impa nodded, crossing her arms over her chest. "You have not answered my question," she said, her voice a little louder and more impatient. "Why are you here?"

General Auru stayed bowed as he spoke. "I come on behalf of the Queen of Hyrule, Zelda the Fifteenth. She is sorry that she could not come herself, but war preparations have rendered her unable to leave the castle."

Impa nodded. "Okay. And what message do you have for us from her Majesty? Does she come with more unfounded accusations and slander against my person?" She didn't mean to sound so harsh, but having him standing there speaking of Zelda in such an official manner brought up the still-fresh hurt in her heart, and the anger was a result of that hurt.

General Auru straightened and shook his head. "Quite on the contrary," he said. "She sent me with a message of reconciliation, if you would hear it."

Impa grunted a little. "Go ahead," she said. "Deliver your message."

"Very well," said the general. "Forgive me if I lack her highness's eloquence. We debated who to send, but in the end it was decided that I was the best choice due to your previous standing as a captain of Hyrule, and the nature of the message. Unfortunately, I am more of a warrior than a politician, so if my words stumble please forgive me." Impa nodded again, so he continued. "As you know, the country of Hyrule is in a desperate way. The queen would like to brief you on all of the details herself, but she wants me to tell you that without the support of the Sheikah Tribe and the Zora Kingdom, professed allies of Hyrule Kingdom for ages and ages past, then it is certain that Hyrule will fall and the land will be cast into darkness. To show our good faith, her Majesty has given both of you a full royal pardon."

A murmur went around the room at this. Impa listened to the whispers behind her for a moment, keeping her face neutral. There was a mixture of happiness and indignation. How dare she extend a pardon when nothing had been done to wrong her? Did she think this was some kind of gift? Beside her, Ruto's fins were twitching rapidly in a sure sign of agitation. Color born of anger was rising into her cheeks, but just as she opened her mouth to say something the sheikah tribal leader reached out and placed her hand on Ruto's shoulder. The zora princess looked at her friend and stayed quiet, waiting to see what the sheikah would do.

Impa's eyes narrowed. "Are we supposed to be grateful for this?" she asked. She honestly wanted to know what he would say.

General Auru shook his head. "No," he said, his tone sounding genuinely apologetic. "We of the council are of the opinion that great wrongs were done to both of you. Although it will take years to truly mend such rifts between us, the queen has agreed to cooperate. The pardon is in writing and signed, one for each of you. I have them with me for your review, directly from the queen's hand. Admittedly, that was all that Queen Zelda was willing to concede. We of the council, however, wished to go further. Tribal leader Impa, we would like to restore your position within the army. Not only that, but to express our gratitude for your service in the Battle of the Armies of Ruin and in recognition of both your tremendous skill, leadership, and devotion to the Crown of Hyrule, we would like to promote you to the position of General. Due to General Xao's death in the battle, and knowing the trust he placed in you, there was an open position and your name was the only one that we would accept to fill it."

Another murmur went through the room. Impa's mouth hung open a little: her? A general? Hyrulian General Impa? It was beyond her wildest dreams. "If you would accept the position," General Auru continued, "then we bring you and Princess Ruto gifts from the Royal Treasure Vaults of Hyrule Castle as concrete proof of our good faith." With this statement, he held the larger package out to Impa and the smaller one out to Princess Ruto.

The eyes of the council turned to Impa. The sheikah tribal leader looked at the outstretched gift, but did not yet reach to take it. In respect, Ruto held off as well, waiting for Impa's decision. They all knew that what happened to Ruto was because of Wizzro, and Zelda's only offense to her was not clearing it up afterward. This was a relatively minor offense. It was against Impa that the true harm had been done, and Impa would have to make the decision for them in the end.

"I do not know what to say," Impa finally said. She shook her head a little. "I feel surprised and honored, yes, but also conflicted. You say that Queen Zelda would only extend an official pardon. The rest—the promotion, the gifts, the apology—all of these come from the generals and the councilmen, not from her. How am I to take that? If I accept these gifts, lavish as I am sure that they are, it will be with the knowledge that the queen still suspects me, but is clearly allowing this because Hyrule has need of my strength and the armies that will come with me."

The general bowed again. "If I may speak freely," he said. "Her Majesty said something to us that I believe you should hear as well. You swore a vow to protect the Line of Hylia and Hyrule Kingdom itself, no matter who the current monarch is or what personal problems you and she may be having. Your loyalty, your fealty, is to the country itself and to the protection of the Line, not necessarily to Queen Zelda the Fifteenth herself. This whole matter has little to do with the queen's opinions."

Impa was hesitant, and Auru could see that she wasn't sold. He sighed a little and continued. "In light of this, speaking for myself and for the war council, I have one last thing to say in order to sway you before I leave you to your decision: Queen Zelda is not the one who is calling on your strength in this dark hour. She is giving her permission, but this call is not coming from her. This call is coming from us. This call is coming from Hyrule itself and from her elected officials, who represent her nobility and her people. If you will not come for her, fine. But, please, come to OUR aid. Come to HYRULE'S aid. We beg of you."

General Auru bowed again and held out the gifts. Impa took a deep breath and looked at Ruto, then back at her council. Seeing a consensus on most of their faces, she turned back to the general and bowed. "We will answer Hyrule's call," she said. They both straightened and she and Ruto took the gifts from him. Not opening them yet, Impa addressed the council. "I believe that the general's words should be a reminder for the sheikah tribe. Our first commitment is and has always been to protect the Line of Hylia and the country of Hyrule. For us to even question that loyalty due to something as small as a personal disagreement is a sign that we as a tribe have drifted away from our purpose. The moment we allow ourselves to drift away from the central tenant of our beliefs, our very reason for existing, is the moment that we will begin to fade away and die off. We will rise to this challenge and stand alongside our Hyrulian brothers and sisters in this war. When all is said and done, I swear to you all today that we will return to the basics of our faith. As long as I am the leader of this tribe, we will keep our eyes on that foundation and root out the causes of our departure from it."

Impa looked to Ruto, and the zora princess smiled and nodded at her. "I couldn't have said it any better," she said. "I said before that the Zora Kingdom would stand with the sheikah. If the sheikah tribe is stranding with Hyrule, then so shall we."

Impa grinned and placed her free hand on the zora woman's shoulder. "You are the best friend that I have ever had, although I was not looking for friendship" she said, her voice full of gratitude and love. "May the bond that has grown between us extend to a similarly strong bond between our peoples."

Ruto nodded and patted Impa's hand, then shrugged it off. "Now, enough of this wishy washy stuff," she said, laughing a little. "I have a present to open!" Everyone in the room laughed, including the general himself. As Ruto tore into her package, Impa realized that this was her charm, and why she would make a wonderful leader for her people. Ruto had the gift to make anyone smile or laugh, no matter how difficult the situation or how up-tight the person. She was a fun, genuine, and brilliant person, and the sheikah woman felt blessed call her ally and friend.

"Come on, stop looking at me and open yours!" Ruto said, pulling away the last of her paper. Inside, she found a very elaborate wrist band made out of blue dragon-like scales and golden plate armor. Dangling from it was an orange-golden three-pronged charm of sorts. Ruto's eyes widened and her face looked suddenly serious and stricken.

"What is it?" Impa asked, pausing in her own unwrapping. "What's wrong?"

Ruto shook her head. "Nothing is wrong," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Her eyes snapped up to the general. "How did she get this?" she said, her voice serious. "Why did I not know?"

"It has been in the royal vault since the age of the first dynasty," he answered. "It was a gift from the Water Dragon herself to the first hero and King of Hyrule."

"What is it?" Impa asked again.

Ruto looked back at her. "This is a scale from the Water Dragon," she explained. "Legend says that the Water Dragon created the Zora People from her own flesh. She grew sick and died in the age of the third dynasty, and all traces of her vanished. Legend says that her scales hold tremendous magical power. With this scale, my battle power will be increased tenfold. Twentyfold. There are myths that say this exists, but no one has ever seen it. This is not just any gift—" Ruto slipped the charm onto her arm and held it up to the sunlight, watching the way it sparkled and glittered. "They have given us a legendary treasure," she said. Her eyes filled with tears as she looked at the general. "I…I am so grateful. Thank you so much. You have no idea what this will do for my nation, the sheer magnitude of the gift that you have given us…it is beyond words."

General Auru bowed. "It belongs to you," he said. "We have always felt this to be true. It seemed appropriate to return it to you, especially in light of the offenses that have been enacted against you. The Queen is truly and grievously sorry for your imprisonment and treatment. She prays that you will forgive her suspicion, and that this gift will reestablish the friendship between you that had been forming. "

Princess Ruto laughed again and shook her head. "Of course, silly creature that she is. I've forgiven her already, without such a lavish gift. I have only prayed that she will heal from the wounds she suffered that made her act with such careless suspicion."

As General Auru and Princess Ruto were talking, Impa continued to unwrap her gift. When the paper was loose, she folded it up and set it aside before taking a careful look at the item inside. It was a Great Sword, like the black goron-made weapon she had now, but this one was much more beautiful. It had an ornate blue sheath with gold-metal trim to reinforce the base and the top edge. Red chord wrapped around the middle to attach it to her back. The hilt that protruded from the golden edged top of the sheath was made of an angular blue metal. Shining at the center of the hilt, just visible above the sheath, was a large, circular golden piece with the goron symbol engraved in it that connected the hilt and the blade.

Impa's brow furrowed. She held the sheath out for one of her councilmen to hold while she drew the large blade. Once it was free of its sheath, she held it up to get a good look. The blade was silver and engraved with glowing goron symbols and writing. It was squarish, but the edge was sharper than any she had ever seen. It seemed to almost glow with a bluish light. The general and the princess had stopped talking, and they were watching Impa's reaction. The sheikah tribal leader's red eyes raked up and down its length. Her mouth hung open as she turned her wide-eyed gaze back to General Auru.

"A Biggoron Sword?" she said. "I have only ever dreamed of someday owning his apprentice's trademark Biggoron Knife…I have never in my wildest dreams imagined I would hold one of these!"

Auru chuckled and allowed himself to crack a grin. It occurred to Impa as he did so that his was a face meant to for smiling. It was a comforting thought that a man who smiled was in the highest position of leadership in the nation's armed forces. "The big man on the mountain doesn't work at his forge as much as he used to," the general replied as he crossed his arms over his chest. "His apprentice, who is actually his son by the way, is learning the family trade, yes, but he's not nearly as good as his father, not yet at least. Biggoron Senior, he owed me a personal favor from way back, a big one, so he did this request pro bono. It is a unique blade, in fact, because of the engravings." He reached out and leaned over to trace his fingertips along the large glowing runes on the blade as he spoke. "They are goron power runes, and they will increase your magical abilities significantly. The big man himself told me, when I came to pick it up, that this sword is his finest work. I am inclined to agree."

Impa took the sheath from the sheikah councilman who was holding it and slid the blade back into it. She then tucked the gift under her arm and bowed to the general. "General Auru, I am overwhelmed by your gifts and your compassion. I will be honored to serve under you in any capacity, whether that is as a foot solider or as a general myself."

Auru stepped forward and put his hand on Impa's shoulder. "Rise, Impa," he said, smiling. When the sheikah did so, he continued. "In the Battle of the Armies of Ruin, you showed amazing leadership, skill, and instinct. You led the men who captured the Central Keep, the victory that turned the tide of the battle in our favor, and they followed you to their deaths. You then followed your commanding officer's orders and infiltrated the enemy keep, knowing how little support you had, because the safety of Hyrule and obedience to your orders mattered more to you than your own safety. Not only this, but having won your battle with the enemy commander, you then raced back to protect the princess and expose the imposter who was acting as our king. I am an old man and stuck in my ways, Impa, but even I can see the good judgment in this promotion. It was much discussed, and we came to a unanimous consensus." He took his hand off of her shoulder and stepped back again. "Besides," he added, with a small laugh. "There have been Impas as our generals and captains for as long as we have had Zeldas for queens. I can see the hand of destiny in this appointment."

"Thank you, General," Impa said. "You honor me with your words and deeds. We will ready our forces and move out to join Hyrule's army as soon as the Zoras arrive from Zora' Domain."

Auru laughed and smiled. The tension in his shoulders seemed to relax, and he placed his hands on his hips. "Wonderful! Well, this is all good news. Maybe we have a hope of winning this war after all."

Impa turned to the council. "Ralph, would you please show our guest to some quarters where he may wash and rest from his journey? I think, sirs, that this decisions also adjourns our meeting. We are going to aid Hyrule. If any of you has a problem with that after all of this, then speak to me in private. You will find Ruto and myself in my quarters." With that, they adjourned. Ralph, a councilman that Impa knew she could trust, escorted General Auru from the chamber. They gave him back his broadsword and bow at the door. Impa and Ruto left shortly afterward.

"So," Ruto said as they walked, "how are you feeling right about now?"

Impa bit her lower lip. "Perhaps this would be better discussed in private," she said, not trusting herself on the matter. Ruto nodded and they walked in silence until they entered Impa's house and closed the door behind them. Ruto plopped down on the couch and slipped the Water Dragon's scale onto her forearm. As she turned it around in the light, admiring the way the sunlight glinted in the orange-gold depths of the scale, Impa crossed to her mother's ice chest. She opened the lid and fished around for a little longer than normal. Finally, she fished out a bottle of wine and two glasses.

When she brought them over to Ruto, the zora princess raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Celebrating something are we?" she asked, chucking a little.

Impa opened the bottle and waved it under her nose before pouring them both a glass. Setting it down on the table, Impa picked up her glass and handed the other one to Ruto. "Celebrating the impossibilities of life." When Ruto just rolled her eyes, Impa laughed. "Or I just need a drink to prepare myself for going back to the castle."

"Back to Zelda, you mean," Ruto said. She knew what the real problem was. In her time with Impa in the sheikah village, the red-eyed woman had thrown herself into the work they were doing in the investigation. It was as if the more she learned about her mother's secret love affair, the more she didn't have to focus on her own. The more she could learn about Kishla's betrayal, the more she didn't have to feel as if the kiss she shared with the queen was also a betrayal. They hadn't talked about it, despite Ruto's best efforts to bring it up. It would be healthy for Impa to talk about it, and she had tried to tell her that, but the sheikah wouldn't listen. She just plowed ahead with a singular focus, using her pain as a kind of fuel in her search to clear her name and discover the truth.

The sheikah woman sighed. She took a long drink of her wine and then stared into the glass as she swirled the red liquid around in the bottom of the glass. "Mom always knew how to pick a good wine," she said. Her eyebrows furrowed and a frown lined her face. After a while, as if she had decided that she couldn't avoid the topic anymore, she finally spoke. "Too bad she didn't know how to pick a good lover. Like mother like daughter I guess."

Ruto sipped her wine and examined the sheikah with her eyes. "Are you mad at her?"

Impa's eyes looked moist. Her left hand was trembling a bit where it held the glass of wine, and her right hand reached over to clench the hilt of new sword in a white-knuckled grip. "She's dead. What's the point of anger now?"

"The decisions she made in life don't stop affecting you after she has passed." Ruto shrugged. "It's okay to be mad at the dead. They can take it…it's not like you can hurt her feelings or anything." She smiled, but Impa didn't laugh.

"She threw me into this," Impa said, her teeth gritted and her voice shaking. "She made a deal with her lover so they could live through their children. It was sick. And…" Impa sighed. "And it wasn't really their fault." Ruto tilted her head, prompting Impa to explain. "Ruto…they may have set it up so that we would be together, but they didn't set up what I felt for her. They didn't set up that day in town and they didn't set up that kiss. That was me. I set that up. It was my fault. If my heart was broken, I only have myself to blame. Not Zelda, not my mom, and not the late queen either." Impa set her wine down on the table and put her forehead in her hand. Her shoulders shook a little, and when she spoke her voice was quiet and sounded of tears that she was trying to hold in.

The zora princess scooted over to her friend. She draped her arm around Impa's shoulders, her fins fluttering down the sheikah's back like a slightly clammy blanket. "Well, you may not be mad at Zelda, but I am! She knew what she was doing, Impa. You weren't the only twitterpated one in that relationship. She practically stalked you, and when you tried to have a professional relationship she got depressed and goaded you into something more. She was manipulating you from the moment she first laid eyes on you, and then she cast you aside and laid the blame on your shoulders because she was scared, and because some part of her knew that you would take it. It was really cowardly and cruel, and apparently she's not over it if the only thing she would send you is a pardon."

Impa was bent over with her left elbow on her knee, her head in her hand. She was twirling the hilt of the giant Biggoron Sword in a circle in her right hand. "It doesn't matter if she liked me or not. Either way, she no longer feels that way and I already told General Auru that we would go back with him. It's the right thing to do." Impa took a deep breath. As she let it out, she sat up and leaned back against the couch. "Ruto, I'm not ready to go back," she said. "I'm not ready to face her. It's all well and good for you to be mad at her, but I can't. I can't even just be indifferent to her. I still can't get her out of my head. Not a night has passed when I have not dreamt of kissing her again. Of holding her again. I can't be around her when I'm still in love with her and she despises me."

Ruto sighed. She took another sip of the wine and stared out the window. It was a bright day outside, and the whole village was alive with the sounds of children running and people talking about the decision that had been made and the war that was now on the horizon. "You are useful to her," Ruto eventually said. Without looking at Impa, she kept talking, as if she was musing out loud. "You were inconvenient before because of how you made her feel, and those feelings frightened her so she discarded you. But now…now she needs you back. That demon, Wizzro, has been planting lies in the ears of the generals and the councilmen for who knows how long. I highly doubt that they are ready to trust the word of a 'little girl'…but they obviously trust you. You have their favor, something she lacks, and you have both the sheikah tribe and the support of the Zora kingdom, again things she doesn't have. She obviously tried to make Link be their war hero, but it doesn't look like they bit that carrot. She needs you back. Even then she still can't bend her pride to ask you for your forgiveness, or even to come in person to pardon you." Ruto shook her head and clicked her tongue. "I don't know, Impa. Zelda is not who I thought she was…or this is not Zelda. How are we to know who is who these days, with that devilish creature on the loose? Who is to say?"

Impa shook her head. "It's her," she said, her voice starting to calm again. Now was not the time to go to pieces, and she was a water-magic user just like Ruto. She could control her emotions too. "Now that I have seen and fought that creature, Wizzro, I know what he feels like I think." She furrowed her brow. "That's what has confused me this whole time. That's the part that I haven't been able to figure out. Kishla tried to tell me that I need to practice my spiritual arts, the art of seeing, or there would be a cost. She was cryptic about what the cost is, but she really was clear and plain when it came to spiritual mediation and the development of True Sight. She made me practice every day, in return for teaching me about the castle and her informants. I was having small breakthroughs. When Wizzro exposed himself, I learned what his spirit 'looks' like. Since I haven't been…well, sleeping very much…I've been practicing instead. I think I can see him now if he tries to possess someone else."

Ruto shook her head. "You sheikah and your pursuit of truth," she said. "Well, even if it is the real Zelda, here's your truth as I see it: stay away from her and do your job quietly. I don't think she's very stable."

"Yeah, I know," Impa responded. "I'll try my hardest, but Ruto if by some miracle or some folly Zelda asks…I can't say no to her. I know she's not good for me. I know that's true. Everything you're pointing out is right. I should just find a nice sheikah girl and settle down with my nice army job and lead my people and be happy. But…I still can't shake how I feel about her. There _was_ something between us. Fate or…the Goddesses' design. I know I'm sounding stupid. She said something about our souls reincarnating and that us being together was destiny. Like I exist in order to protect her. A part of me still feels like that's true. I might exist to serve Zelda."

Ruto blinked and then shook her head. "I don't know what to tell you. You're a glutton for punishment, Impa, and you should just leave her behind. You should really deal with this complicated one-sided codependency thing you've got going on, cause it's really unhealthy."

Impa nodded. "I'll try," she said. "I probably won't have to try very hard. Zelda's not going to look at me twice, let alone ask me to ever touch her or spend time with her again. If the reincarnation thing is true, I'll just have to watch over her from afar and hope Link will be willing to be my eyes in her inner circle when my own can't be watching."

Ruto nodded and then looked down at the Water Dragon's scale. "I guess we'll find out how this will all go as soon as my people arrive from the river."

Impa took another sip of wine and shook her head. "I guess we will."

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

**Author's Notes:** Merry Christmas everyone! And Happy Holidays to those of you who celebrate different holidays. :o)

It was a productive Nanowrimo for me. I got 7 new chapters written on my larger work, Stasis, and 3 new chapters written on this story (admittedly, they are three long chapters, so you didn't get short changed). I would say that In Sotto Voce is almost complete—maybe 4 or 5 chapters to be written still, bringing us in at 21 or 22 chapters. Hopefully you're all still enjoying it!

Until next chapter,

~The Wolfess

****If you enjoy my writing, please check out my major work, the Doppelganger Trilogy. You can find books 1 and 2 completed on my profile.****


	15. Chapter 15

*****ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY****

!

**In Sotto Voce**

_By The Wolfess_

**!**

**Chapter 15**

The queen was having breakfast in her solar alone when news came. A burgundy and gold royal eagle landed on the back of the chair opposite her, his piercing eyes seeming irritated about the scroll tied to his leg. She freed him, fed him a scrap of sausage off of her plate, and then sent him on his way to the Aviators in the Loftwing Tower. The message was from the general they had elected to deliver her pardon—along with the council's foolishly elaborate gifts—to the sheikah and the zora hiding in Kakariko Village. Zelda still didn't approve of the gesture. You would think that Hyrule itself was crawling on its knees, begging for their help, when they owed fealty to the crown anyway. Still, she supposed that they _were _begging at this point, weren't they?

Dismissing these thoughts from her mind, Queen Zelda broke the wax seal and read over the letter. Auru reported, in an obviously relieved and overjoyed tone, that they accepted the gifts and were, in fact, quite touched by them. He also mentioned the misgivings they brought up, but these were topics that had already been debated. The council thought she should be more apologetic and compassionate. Zelda wasn't willing to ask for forgiveness, but she was ready to offer pardon and ask for aid, which is what she had done. They should be grateful to have gotten even that.

The queen rolled the letter back up and set it on the table beside her food, then sat back in her chair. She took a couple measured breaths and folded her hands in her lap, looking around at the solar. How fitting that she should get the news of Impa's return here, in the very room where they had met. The sheikah woman had been standing at the window and looking out. Her frame was silhouetted in the afternoon light, and when she turned to see who had come inside, that light danced in her silver-white hair and cast a glow about her head, as if she were some angel sent to walk beside Zelda.

The queen tried to shake the image out of her mind by reminding herself that Wizzro had set up that whole affair. Perhaps he had used some magic to make Zelda find her to beautiful that day, or every day that they had been together. Magical. Unbidden, the memory of Link's defense of Impa's character in the library the day they had their picnic rose to her mind. He argued that she was innocent. If she was used by evil, Link had said, then she did not know it. He would have known because of their connection. But his theory was a shaky one, the queen reminded herself. Impa's affiliation with and tutelage under Kishla and her purposeful distraction organized on the day of the attack proved that she had been involved…didn't it?

As Queen Zelda began mulling over the details of the argument against Impa again in her mind, rolling around her misgivings and suspicions like a long-flavorless wad of gum, a bright, clear trumpet sounded in the distance. Zelda shook her head to clear it of its obsessive thoughts and waited to hear the sound again. The first sound was familiar to her: Hyrule's traditional Call to Arms, usually played at the entrance to Castle Town itself when a friendly army arrived outside the city. Each tribe's answering call would be played in answer, and then the friendly army would march through the main street of the city to the Castle Gates themselves, where the monarchs were expected to meet them.

The queen stood and crossed to the window to see who was arriving. Since she had just received the general's letter, surely it wasn't their Sheikah and Zora allies. The answering call was being played as Zelda rested her palms on the cool stone of the windowsill. One long blast from a single trumpet sounded in a low minor key. This was followed by a slow series of notes, played by multiple trumpets in chorus, reminiscent of the lonely cry of a morning dove. This was the Sheikah Clan's call, there was no mistaking its somber sound. War was never something the shadow clan delighted in, and their answering call was more of a musical sob than a resounding battle cry. Before Zelda had the chance to think more about the sound—it was not a sound she had ever heard in her lifetime—the trumpets played another song. This was a flowing cascade of triumphant notes, like water falling over rocks at the base of a waterfall. There was no mistaking the watery, yet resounding call of the Zora Kingdom.

Zelda gathered her dress in her hands and started hurrying toward the door, her lunch forgotten. She gave a quick glance over her outfit to see if she needed to change before the armies arrived. There had been an unnatural chill in the air that morning, so she had chosen a thicker gown, a snowy gray number with a dark gray and black fur lining around the neckline and sleeves. Combined with a complimentary pointed, silver crown, Zelda felt satisfied that she was presentable. There was no time to dress anyway, not when the knowledge of who was marching toward her castle door was making her heart hammer in her chest and her blood rush into her cheeks.

Link, waiting just outside the solar door, was automatically at attention as soon as the door swung open. He fell into step just behind her and kept up easily with her hurried pace. "Who has arrived?" he asked. Although he knew what the trumpets meant by now, he didn't know what all of the answering calls were.

"The faster song, the second one that played, was the Zora Kingdom," Zelda answered, leading them down the twists and turns of the corridors. "The sad one, the first song, was the Sheikah Tribe."

Link was silent as they descended the main stairwell. He knew Zelda was leading them straight to the front door of the castle, where the allied armies would wait for her to greet them before being directed to their camp within the castle walls. What he didn't know was what was going through her mind at the moment. As much as he would like to have asked, their growing closeness was all but gone since the incident in Zelda's training grounds. She would not answer him even if he did ask.

It wasn't long before their silent march led them to the atrium. The servants stationed there opened the large double doors, and Queen Zelda exited onto the castle terrace. There she stopped and folded her hands together in front of her. Her eyes were fixed on the archway through which the armies would come, and that gaze was as level and steady as a hawk's. Link frowned from his place right behind her. Her jaw was set and flexing as her teeth clenched, and her knuckles were white with the grip she had on herself. Link couldn't tell if she was terrified or furious, but either way she was taut as a viola string and ready to snap.

They could hear the stomping of marching feet and the clanging of armor and weapons first. Link could pick out the sound of a few horses, but he didn't hear many. He supposed that the Zoras wouldn't ride at all, being that their advantage on the battlefield was in watery areas, and the Sheikah were a small clan and probably only had a few mounts. He tried to listen harder, straining to try to estimate how many were coming and what armies they were a part of. Some of the more experienced warriors could tell a rough estimate of the size of an approaching army just by hearing them, but he wasn't very good at it yet. Still, he gave a silent guess and waited.

The sheikah army was in front, and the hero could see that a white steed led them. As it approached, he could make out that it wore black colors with red designs, and its mane and tail were colored with black and red die. The horse was still too far away for him to make out what the designs were or who rode it, but he could only assume that it was the Sheikah Tribal leader, Impa. He bounced on his toes a little, both out of excitement and nerves. When he last saw Impa there was a lot of tension between them, but he still considered her a friend. He occupied the waiting time by trying to think of a way for him to show her his support without making Zelda too angry at him.

What confused Link as he watched the armies marching up the cobblestone road from Castle Town was that another horse rode next to the black and red one. Normally, the leaders of each tribe rode in front of their tribes. Impa would ride in front of the Sheikah, and then, behind them, Ruto would be in front of the Zoras. This was the traditional formation, so each army could be greeted and sorted individually. This was obviously not what the approaching armies had decided to do. The second horse was a brownish beast with a white main and tail, white socks, and a white stripe down its face. At least, Link assumed those used to be white, as they had been dyed completely blue, and blue was not a naturally occurring color in horses. The horse also sported blue banners with pearled, white accents. Riding atop it was a blue figure, who he could only assume to be Princess Ruto. King Zora never left the Domain, and he would have sent his daughter as his representative.

As the horses got close enough, Link could see that the banners on Impa's horse were checkered red and black. The black squares had the Sheikah Eye in red on them, and the red squares had black Ravens on them. Beside the sheikah horse, the zora mare had solid blue banners with Nayru's symbol—also the Zora's Sapphire—in white. As richly decorated as the mounts were, it was their riders that had everyone's primary attention. Impa and Ruto rode side by side, their horses' steps in sync with each other. Ruto wore no armor, but the golden Water Dragon's scale shimmered with an unnatural light that seemed to envelope the Zora Princess in a golden-orange glow. Beside her, Impa was dressed as she always was, in her blue battle garb with silver armor. The red sheikah eye stood out on her breast plate. Strapped to her back was the large, enchanted Biggoron Sword gifted to her by the General himself, but in her hand, held proudly erect, was the red and black naginata of the Sheikah Tribal Leader.

As they passed through the main archway, Link looked past the two horses to the armies behind them. What he had expected to see were two distinct armies. The sheikah would be in front, and the blue sea of the zora would be behind them. As with the two leaders, this was not what Link saw when he looked out upon the ranks of the approaching army. They were mixed together. Zora foot soldiers marched beside their sheikah counterparts, archers with archers, cavalry with cavalry, and so on. At this sight, Link's jaw clenched too. They came at Zelda's call, bearing her gifts, all as requested and required by ceremony. But they came integrated, presenting a united front. They were not two armies coming separately, but one army with two leaders, united with—and against—the mother country that had called them.

The armies pulled up as they approached the central courtyard at the base of the steps. The tension in the air was palpable as all eyes drifted from the united tribal leaders to the queen and back. Link's fists clenched behind his back, his eyes locked on Queen Zelda. For her part, the queen took a deep breath, held it for a moment, and led it out slowly. Her eyes were closed, but her hands were steady and her shoulders were still. Link smiled a little. The inner steel she had shown on the day she agreed to pardon Impa and Ruto was still with her on this day. He knew she would not falter.

When Zelda opened her eyes, it was red that met her gaze. Impa's eyes. Zelda's breath caught instinctually, her chest tightening, but she let no trace show. She was a queen, and a queen showed no weakness. Instead, Zelda took another breath and shifted her focus from Impa's intense gaze to the rest of her. The sheikah's face was utterly blank and her body was still, like a stone statue. No part of her betrayed the emotions that may be going on inside. Her training was good. She was rock steady. _I can be stone too, _Zelda thought to herself. _You will see how strong I can be. _

The queen's gaze shifted from the sheikah to the Zora Princess beside her. Ruto was all sass and expression, but little of her body language was friendly. Her fins fluttered in agitation, and her smile was sharp, challenging. She screamed _try me, I dare you_, as if Zelda would be stupid enough to agitate either of them when she so desperately needed their help. She would have to choose her words carefully here. One misstep could drive them away, and then it would be more than her that lost everything. It would be the entire world that was lost.

"Welcome to Hyrule Castle," Queen Zelda said, spreading her hands out in a gesture of welcome. "I cannot express the depth of my gratitude," she continued. "Hyrule, and possibly the whole world, are at the brink of disaster. We are all that stands in the way of evil's approach. I will be honest with you: without a united front, without your aid, we will fail and the world will succumb to darkness." Silence met the pause in her speech. They were not moved, but they were not angry either. Zelda took this as a positive sign. "I know that there is tension between our people. There are many sides and many opinions of who is at fault and what happened. Today, however, is not the day to resolve our inner conflicts. It is a day to set them aside and unite on behalf of something greater than ourselves: Hyrule, the mother country who feeds and cares for us. The country we call our home."

There were smiles within the ranks of the joined army. Even Ruto's fins seemed to calm a little. Zelda took this as a good sign. Her words were being received. "I have called you to join the tribes of Hyrule on the field of battle, this is true. I do this, I send out the call, but I do not ask you to fight for me. I ask you to fight _alongside_ me, on equal footing, on behalf of Hyrule. I ask you to fight so that your children may have a peaceful life. I ask you to fight so that there may be light in our future. Divided by our squabbles and accusations, all shall perish. United on behalf of something greater than ourselves, however, and I believe that light and goodness will triumph over all evil. If we are united, we cannot fail."

There was quiet applause from the armies, a tentative acceptance of her olive branch. The queen was happy about this, but Zelda's eyes could not help but watch Impa's face instead of looking out over the crowd. Where a moment before there had been only stone, now a small smile passed over the warrior's features. There was something soft about her mouth and something proud in her eyes. At this sight, Zelda's heart shuddered within her. She had to avert her gaze.

Zelda decided that it was best to wrap up as quickly and gracefully as possible. "You are our honored guests within these walls, and there is plenty of room and provisions for all. Hyrulian Captains will direct you to your barracks shortly. Once you are settled, your generals and captains will meet with all of the others to discuss battle plans and training, so that we may all be united and ready for the march." She paused for a moment, and then continued. "One last thing before you are dismissed. Now that all of the tribes of Hyrule have been united, I would like to hold a celebratory feast. We will dine without restraint and enjoy one another's company, for it may be the last night of peace that many of us experience. On the morrow following the feast, we will march out together to meet the darkness head on in battle."

The cheers that met this proclamation were louder than before. Everyone loved a good pre-war feast. Zelda smiled and held her hands up for silence. Once it had quieted enough, she gave a dismissal. "Thank you, once again, for coming when you had every reason not to. We are in your debt. You are dismissed. Hyrulian Captains, please direct them to appropriate quarters. Go in peace, my friends."

The armor clad Hyrulian Captains dispersed and attention shifted off of Zelda. She took another deep breath, held it for a moment, and let it out slowly. Now for the hard part. Down at the base of the steps, Impa and Ruto still sat atop their horses, waiting. There were always different instructions for the tribal leaders, as they were expected to meet and dine with the queen. Zelda turned to Link before walking over to them. She leaned in and whispered in his ear, letting her hand touch his upper arm as she spoke. "Link, I know that things are awkward between us, but I need you at my elbow tonight. I fear my own anger will get the best of me, and I need your strength to be mine in the case of my weakness. Will you do this for me?"

Link nodded. "Yes, your highness," he said. As she turned around, however, he frowned. How could he show Impa he stood in solidarity with her if he could not leave the queen's immediate side? The knight shook his head and stepped up to Zelda's side as she descended the steps.

They stopped at the height where Zelda could be even with Impa and Ruto atop their horses. Suddenly, Zelda looped her hand through Link's elbow and stood a step closer to him, unusually close. There was an awkward silence in which Zelda looked at Impa, Ruto looked between the two, and Impa seemed to look from Zelda to Link and back with a confused expression. A fake smile spread across Zelda's face, and her voice was unusually high as she started speaking. "I am so grateful that you have come," she said. "We have much to discuss…" she trailed off for a moment, and Link followed her wavering gaze to Impa. His brow furrowed. What was she doing? She was supposed to inviting them to dine with her that night, but instead she seemed stunned. "…but not tonight I am afraid." Zelda said, her voice faltering a little. "Tonight I must prepare the details of the feast for tomorrow. Things need to get started immediately if we are to feed our entire army. However, it would be my honor if you joined me for breakfast tomorrow before our meeting with the generals. Is this agreeable to you?"

Ruto was frowning. She squared her shoulders and drew herself up, as if she was going to answer, but Impa shot her a look. The Zora Princess quieted, and Impa answered Zelda. "I understand, your highness. The Pre-War supper for the ranks comes first. We will dine by ourselves tonight."

Zelda nodded. "It is settled then. My gratitude for your understanding. If you will excuse me." Impa nodded, and Zelda did not wait another moment before turning on her heals and practically running back up the steps into the castle. Link stood behind for just a moment. "I have to follow," he said, looking from Impa to Ruto and back. "But I'm going to try to see if she will allow me to dine with you. I…" he paused, and a big, genuine grin spread over his face. "I've missed you both terribly."

Impa and Ruto both smiled. "We have missed you too, Link," Impa said, returning his smile. "Now, go follow her. I know your duties." Link nodded and ran to find his queen.

!

Impa and Ruto were seated at a private dinner, at their own request. They knew that it would be good for the soldiers to settle in and mingle with the rest of their allies as much as possible before the battle. Bonds of familiarity, even friendship, with their allies insured greater teamwork on the battlefield. That would be important to their success and was the main reason why the two women dined alone, but it was not the sole reason. They also wanted to meet to discuss what they had seen at castle entrance in private, and to gauge their continued steps based on that interaction.

"She seemed stiff, don't you agree?" Ruto asked as a servant brought in some wine and their first course, a strawberry walnut salad with goat cheese crumbles.

"Yes. She was featureless as she spoke. Her words were moving, well-planned, but there was no life in her eyes." Impa shook out her cloth napkin and draped it over her lap.

Ruto nodded, her mouth full of the first bite of salad. Once she swallowed, she spoke. "That's true, but I have heard things. Zoras regularly deliver to the castle, you see, by use of the waterways connecting the Domain and the Castle. It's also an emergency route in case we need to get a message to the crown quickly." Impa motioned for Ruto to continue, so she did. "Well, the reports coming back to the domain from our suppliers have been interesting. They filled me in on our ride over here. Queen Zelda has had two modes, until recently: furious and emotional, or stoic. She has been like an animal, wounded and unpredictable. That is, until her closest generals and advisors confronted her in a meeting shortly before she sent the pardons. Suddenly, she seems to have developed a layer of logic and benevolence. Some suspect that it is only skin-deep, but others say that perhaps she is beginning to rethink what happened. What she did to us."

Impa frowned. "I don't know about that," she said. "There was a hardness in her eyes, right behind her smile, when she spoke to us at the end. I do not think she has forgiven us, only pardoned us for Hyrule's sake. Say what they will about her emotional state, but the queen is utterly devoted to her country and her people. For their sake, she will pardon those she hates."

"But, Imp, her hands were shaking like leaves when she wasn't hiding them behind her back, and she could not take her eyes off of you. There is something going on inside of her heart that is entirely out of her control. I saw something there…seeing you was painful for her."

Impa bit her lower lip, her brow furrowing as she glared down into her plate. "I have heard things of my own, Ruto," she said, her voice soft. "Did you see how she touched Link's arm and drew close to him? I have heard that there has been something happening between them. No one knows what, but my Sheikah have heard through the gossip stones that she dotes on him."

Ruto raised a single eyebrow. "Zelda? Doting? Do you have a gossip stone in the kitchens or something? Impa, I have known Zelda for years. She has never been the doting type…at least, not before she met you."

"But you must have seen them on the steps," Impa protested.

Ruto sighed. "Yes, and what I saw was an act. There was no emotion in her eyes and no warmth in her touch. You need to relax, Impa. You may be jealous of Link's position, but I do not think there is anything going on between them. Don't start being as paranoid as she is."

Before Impa could respond, there was a knock on the door. A servant stepped in and cleared his throat. "Sir Link is here to dine with you," he announced. "Shall I let him in?"

A grin spread on Ruto's face and her fins fluttered in excitement. "Oh, please do!" she said. The servant nodded and bowed out of the room. It was only a moment before heavy boot steps and jingling of chainmail heralded Link's arrival.

The first thing Impa noticed when he stepped into view was that he was not wearing the green tunic and blue scarf of the hero. She didn't want to read too much into it, perhaps it was just that one night, but it was suspicious. Link was not a man who normally wore, or even owned, a wide variety of colors in his wardrobe, and if he was the hero than wasn't he _required_ to wear the hero's tunic and scarf at all times as his official uniform? There was no time to examine his appearance further, however, as Ruto leapt out of her seat and ran over to the hylian man.

"Link!" she exclaimed, ambushing him in a hug. "I have missed you, you distant man. Couldn't you have at least written me in the sheikah city?"

Link laughed. "I'm sorry, Ruto, but there wasn't exactly much time for personal things. Also, communication with either of you was forbidden until the pardon." His eyes drifted past Ruto to where his sheikah friend still sat at the table. He smiled, but he didn't approach. "Impa, I—"

"Why are you not wearing the hero's uniform?" Impa cut him off. "And why did she let you come here tonight when you are supposed to be at her side, especially during these dangerous war times?"

Link whistled under his breath. "Wow, you get right down to it don't you?" he asked, not expecting a response. He raised his hands in front of him. "Peace, Impa, please. I made sure she was guarded by soliders we _both _know and trust before I left her side. Trust me, this doesn't happen often. It's just…" he paused, as if considering if he was even allowed to say what he wanted to say next. He shook his head and sighed. "Let's just say that having you here is hard for her. She is not exactly the same person she was before."

Impa nodded, her expression sad. She didn't know what that meant, not anymore, but she trusted Link's judgement on her safety. "I'm sorry," she offered. "Old habits die hard I guess, even though I really didn't serve her very long."

Link nodded. "No, I understand. It's easy to develop deep affection for her, so it's also easy to worry about her." They both paused for a moment, obviously dwelling on their own memories of the blond girl. It was Ruto who snapped them out of it.

"Okay, you both are deeply devoted to the queen, that's great. Can we continue with the making up please? I'd like to eat the second course before it gets cold."

Link laughed. "Right, sorry. Impa asked about the tunic. I won't wear the hero's uniform. Haven't since shortly after you left. I didn't earn it. You were the hero of that battle, and I won't accept an honor I haven't earned yet. So…any other questions, General Impa?"

It was Impa's turn to laugh. "Oh my goddesses, I had almost forgotten about that. It is so weird to hear the title 'general' in front of my name. Every time one of the soldiers or captains calls me that, I have to pause a moment to figure out who they're addressing." The sheikah stood up and crossed the room to her hylian friend. The smile she turned on him was genuine and fond. "I'm sorry for my distrust and jealousy, Link. You are a good, courageous man. I should not have been mad at you."

Link just shook his head. "Forget about it," he said, and he reached out and pulled Impa into a hug, which she readily returned. "I'm really glad to see you, Impa. I've missed you."

Impa smiled. "I have missed you as well," she said, and then let him go. "Come on, join us. I think the second course is a broccoli cheese soup."

The three companions returned to the table. All conflict gone from their hearts, they ate and laughed and told stories together, catching up on everything they could of their time apart. There was one topic they did avoid, however, and that was anything that had to do with Zelda. It was too much of a sore point for them all, and they wanted this night of reunion to be a happy one.

They were eating their main course slowly and talking about who in their old training group was approaching advancement, when Impa felt a chill run down her arms. Clenching a fist in her lap under the table, she scanned the room with her eyes while still trying to listen to Link's story. Her red gaze brushed across the main entryway a couple times before she caught the edge of a fur-lined dress hem and the smallest glitter of silver. She looked to Link and Ruto, but neither of them seemed to have noticed it.

"Excuse me," Impa said, starting to rise. "I am sorry to miss out on the rest of this, but I have to go find a lavatory."

"Good luck," Link said. "I still get lost trying to find them. You would think that they would be more conveniently located, or at least have signs around to help you find them."

"I'll be back soon," Impa assured them, and then walked toward the door.

When she exited the main hall, Impa stepped out of view of the diners and looked around. Was it her imagination, or had Zelda really been there? Even if she was there, Impa thought, why did she think that it was a good idea to follow her? Shaking her head, the sheikah tribal leader was about to go back in the dining hall when she thought she felt something touch her back. She turned around, but no one was there. "Zelda?" she asked, her voice soft. When no sound answered her, Impa felt like a fool.

Rather than go back, something compelled Impa to keep walking. As she walked, the sheikah became increasingly aware that she could feel a presence. It seemed to be both within her and outside of her, both familiar and unfamiliar, both light and shadow. There was only one person that presence could belong to, and the tribal leader followed it like a hound on the hunt.

Her hunch led her to the secret room Zelda had shown them so long ago, on the night before battle. Impa sighed a little. Zelda was in there, she could feel the other woman on the other side of the panel, but was it even wise to enter? After a moment of debate, Impa finally relinquished to the curiosity burning inside her. The queen must have led her there, and the sheikah would find out why. What more harm could the queen do to her on the eve of battle? Impa slid open the hidden panel, stepped in, and slid it closed.

Queen Zelda stood still as a statue in her gray fur-lined gown, her eyes cast toward the ground. Impa could tell that her hands were curled into fists and her face was flushed, but why was a mystery. Was it anger? Embarrassment? Excitement? Sorrow? Impa had no clue, and Zelda did not move. Moments passed, and still Zelda didn't speak or raise her head. The sheikah began to wonder if she had fallen asleep at dinner and this was all another dream. It couldn't be a dream, though. There was no sheikian-clad vixen there with heavy eyes, no warm princess with sweet words and sweeter lips. No, this was no dream and no dream Zelda. This was the Queen of Hyrule.

Impa fell to one knee. It felt slightly silly to do so in a secret enclosure, but she could think of no other course of action. Zelda was not acknowledging her, and Impa dared not speak unless spoken to. Finally, as the silence persisted, she could take it no longer. "Your majesty, I—"

"Why can you not leave me be?" Zelda interrupted, her head creeping up.

Impa could see that her eyes were puffy and her face was flushed from crying. Not sure what to do, the sheikah lowered her eyes to the ground. "I do not understand, your Highness."

The Queen scoffed. "Of course you do. It was you who led me in that ritual to bind our souls, and every night since it has been you who torments me relentlessly."

Impa said nothing. She sort of knew what Zelda was talking about, it was a moment she herself had been trying to forget, but the sheikah didn't understand what the blond was implying.

Zelda filled Impa's silence with words. It was as if now that she was speaking to about it, she couldn't keep the words to herself anymore. They tumbled out of her, quite out of her control. "Do not kneel there so silently when you have been filling my mind with sorcery! Relentless, you have been within me plaguing me with images. Every time I am alone, they are there. Every time I drop my guard, they are there. By day I keep my composure and endure this constant torment, but by night I have been at your mercy."

Zelda began to pace as she spoke, going to and fro in front of Impa. "By night, you hound me with memories of our time together. You touch me and it is almost as if I could feel your skin. I can smell your scent in the air. I can taste…" her voice hitched. Her body was shaking now, her nails digging into the palms of her fisted hands in fury. She growled out the next words through clenched teeth. "_I can taste your lips on mine._ Every night. I have tried to combat your onslaught by forcing closeness with another, but to no avail. He is but a friend, even a brother, but no lover. His kiss did nothing but remind me of yours. I have no control."

"Zelda, I have never—"

"_Silence!_" Zelda's moist, smoldering gaze landed on Impa's kneeling frame. Those cornflower eyes were wide and wild and hungry. Clad in fur and shrouded in shadow, her pointed silver crown glittering like spears in the moonlight, she looked like a beast. "Did I say you could speak yet?" she said, her voice low, sweet, and dangerous.

Impa shook her head. She suddenly regretted not bringing a weapon with her, but then what would she do? Kill the queen? She would rather be killed herself.

"I have endured these torments in silence and I have risen above your games by offering you pardon. Still, you have not ceased. Though we lavish you with gifts and titles, still you fill my every waking moment with yourself. You are always here, always with me. Have you been watching? What information have you stolen from me, and what have you done with it? _Why Impa_? Speak now. I demand answers for this persecution, and I demand the return of my liberty."

Impa swallowed. She felt cornered, as if by a wild animal. There was no good answer here, and no way to escape to safety, so why even try? "You asked me to stay," she murmured.

"Excuse me?" Zelda said, affronted. "I asked you to torment me? Is that what you are saying?"

Impa shook her head, keeping her eyes trained on the floor. "No. When I guided you to your magical core the day of the battle…I was going to withdraw before you made the connection. I was going to leave. But you asked me to stay with you. Don't you remember?"

Zelda's breathing quickened. "Y-yes…I remember, but…but you were…" The queen trailed off. She clenched her eyes shut and wiped her face with her hands, as if trying to wipe away the memories. She didn't want to remember this, didn't want to see these images, but Impa was right in front of her and she couldn't wipe her away.

"I was a part of you," Impa finished for her, crimson eyes filling with tears that dripped onto the stone floor she was looking at. "I was a part of you, and you were a part of me. Countless lifetimes came together for one beautiful moment in complete harmony. I stayed because you asked me to protect you…throughout our lives, I have always stayed for you." Impa raised her eyes to look at Zelda. The queen met her gaze, her hands still touching her face. "In that moment you knew me completely, and unknowingly bound our souls together. I, too, have suffered you."

Zelda backed against the wall, looking around as if looking for an escape. "I…you are lying…this cannot be true."

Impa sighed. When she spoke, she sounded defeated. "There is no part of my being that is hidden from your eyes," she said. "The Triforce of Wisdom gives you greater control over the connection than I. Search me, if you will it, and know me. If you find evil within my soul, then I pray you will tell me. I will do you the political favor of killing myself so you do not have to sentence me to death without cause."

Zelda frowned at the woman kneeling before her, her hand drifting to cover her gaping mouth. "No," she murmured into her palm, even as her other hand drifted to the top of Impa's head. "What you say cannot be true…." Her hand paused mere inches from Impa's silver white hair, and her fingers curled for a moment. Finally, she uncurled her fingers and rested her palm on top of Impa's head. Her eyes closed, and it was only a moment before the triforce began to glow on Zelda's hand. A gentle wind picked up in the room, and the queen's eyes moved within her eyelids as if she was lucidly dreaming.

What opened before her was like a landscape of Impa. There were colors and sounds, faces and memories from across a lifetime. Zelda sifted through them like searching through a chest of clothes for a particular blouse. It was at the heart of Impa that she found what she was looking for: her core beliefs and motivations. They were like a ball of brightly colored, luminescent gases floating about a sparkling golden core that pumped like a heart, sending out electrical impulses through the rest of the sheikah.

On the floor, Impa was sweating, her face screwed up in pain. She had not expected it to be so painful to have Zelda search around inside of her, but she spoke not a word. What the queen wanted, she would get. Despite this, Impa couldn't help but cry out softly as the queen's magic stepped into the most vulnerable, intimate part of herself and began to feel around.

All of the things that mattered most to Impa swirled around Zelda like a mist. Her intimate relationship with her mother, and her sorrow over her loss. Her Sheikah training, and her sense of pride at being the warrior she was today. Zelda could feel the journey Impa had taken to become the warrior she was, and the pain of much of that training too. Sensation after sensation, Zelda searched through them all. Love, loyalty, friendship, duty, integrity…all of these things the queen found within the tribal leader. But no evil. She searched and searched, but she could not find that trace of darkness she had expected to find, wanted to find.

Exasperated, Zelda turned her gaze to the pumping core of Impa's being. Perhaps the darkness was so much a part of her that it was a part of her very core. Determined and desperate, Zelda moved through the cloud and approached the golden core.

The moment Zelda touched the golden core of Impa's soul, the sheikah cried out and collapsed. Zelda, however, was unaware of the effect her probing was having. She was entrenched in the magic of it, and dead set on finding what she was looking for. She did not see that she was hurting the sheikah woman.

What she did see, however, shocked her still. She saw herself. She saw every moment they had spent together, every touch, every word. She found the night she fell asleep in Impa's arms, and their kiss. But it wasn't just images and memories from their current life—within Impa's heart, Zelda found all of their lives. Just as she had felt when their souls merged, just as she had suspected when she first spoke to Impa of the idea in the library, countless lifetimes together spread out before her probing touch. Goddess and servant, nursemaid and young ward, princess and teacher, each life showed them at different ages and different relationships.

Despite how different they all were, however, what really floored Zelda was how much sacrifice and devotion each incarnation of Impa had shown to their Zelda. Each incarnation of Impa risked her life. Some suffered horrible imprisonments until rescued by the hero. Some were barely known by their Zelda's at all, and yet they still served her with unwavering loyalty and love. Some were military leaders, some were caretakers, some were friends, and a few were something even more. What Zelda needed, the Impas gave. Whatever they couldn't give, they found in someone else. Impa was a part of the cycle of eternity, Zelda's companion and helper in the great work that was her eternal guardianship of the Triforce.

Zelda opened her eyes, and her presence withdrew from the sheikah all at once. Once she reoriented herself, the queen looked at where Impa had been kneeling, only to find her curled on the floor. She gasped and dropped to her knees. "Dear goddesses, Impa!" she reached out and touched the tribal leader's arm. She shook the arm a little, repeating Impa's name, but there was no response.

The queen swallowed the rising panic within her breast and checked Impa's breathing and heartbeat. Both were present and steady, meaning that the tribal leader had just passed out. Breathing a sigh of relief, Zelda stood up. She fidgeted for a moment, oddly awkward, until she finally slid the secret panel open and slipped out. At one time, she would have just stayed there with her until she woke, but that was another time. Zelda was far too confused now, and their relationship was too strained to accommodate such intimacy.

Luckily, the person she was looking for could be heard walking the hallway. His boot steps were loud, and his cries of "Impa? Impa where are you?" left little to wonder about his exact location. Zelda found him quickly.

"Your highness!" he gasped, jumping back in surprise as Zelda rounded the corner. He placed his hand over his heart and sighed. "I apologize for jumping," he said. "You surprised me. Where are the guards I asked to watch you?"

Zelda waved her hand dismissively. "Never mind that," she said, already turning around. "Follow me." Not waiting to see if he would follow, she turned back around and strode back to the secret room. Sliding the panel open, she slipped inside, waited for Link to enter, and closed the door behind them.

"Goddesses, Impa!" Link exclaimed, dropping to her side. He did the same initial checks that Zelda did, then turned an accusing gaze up on his monarch. "This has gone too far, Zelda! What have you done to her?"

The queen shook her head, her hands raised to cover her mouth with steepled fingers. "I do not know!" she said, her eyes still bloodshot from crying a moment before. "It was not intentional, I promise!"

Link nodded. "Whatever you say," he said, obvious dubious of her motivations. "Where do you want me to take her?"

Zelda thought for a moment. She couldn't go to the infirmary because they would wonder what had happened and rumors would fly. That was not an option. She couldn't take her to her assigned room or anywhere that maids might see her, because they would think the same thing that Link obviously did: that Zelda had attacked the sheikah woman. Zelda couldn't really say that she hadn't wanted to hurt Impa when she initially called the meeting, but she certainly hadn't meant to do anything of the sort.

"Take her to my room," she said, finally. "And then go ask the doctor for smelling salts, a tub of hot water, a tub of cold water, and some compresses. Do not tell them what they are for, and do not let them see who is in the room. I will be there shortly to join you."

"Okay," Link nodded. He crouched next to Impa and carefully scooped her into his arms. Straightening to a standing position, he shifted the sheikah woman and nodded to the queen one last time. "Come quickly. I'll take the tunnels so we can't be seen on our way to your chambers."

Zelda touched Link's arm just before he left. "Thank you, Link. Truly." He nodded and slipped out.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

**Author's Notes:**

Things are finally changing! And in a positive way, or so we all hope.

Until next chapter,

~The Wolfess

****If you enjoy my writing, please check out my major work, the Doppelganger Trilogy. You can find books 1 and 2 completed on my profile.****


	16. Chapter 16

*****ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY****

!

**In Sotto Voce**

_By The Wolfess_

_!_

**Chapter 16**

When Zelda returned to her room, she found Impa's still-unconscious body lying on her bed. The smelling salts Zelda had asked for were not there yet, but as Link was also missing she assumed that he was getting them. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her dress. Glancing from the sheikah woman to the door and back, Zelda paced the center of the room a few times before crossing over to the settee and sitting down to wait for Link.

The room was just as she had left it, although Link had obviously lit some candles and started a fire in the hearth before he left to speak with the doctor. She appreciated his thoughtfulness, for in her current agitated state the monarch knew she wouldn't have thought of the chill in the room. There was a single pair of glass double doors opposite the bed that led out onto a balcony. The doors were opened now, just a small crack to let some fresh air in, but enough that it had made the room cold. Through the open doors, Zelda could hear the soldiers outside. They were talking, laughing, singing, and telling stories. The battle would be soon and all of the revelry would stop, but until then, the queen was glad that they were enjoying themselves.

She reexamined every inch of her room with her eyes until there was nothing left for Zelda to look at besides the one foreign thing in it: Impa. The queen shook her head and sighed. If anyone had told her the night before that she would allow Impa into her chambers and actually feel benevolence and tenderness toward her again, she wouldn't have believed them. Nonetheless, here she was looking at the sheikah woman with fresh eyes. "Search me and know me" Impa had said, and so Zelda had freely and aggressively searched, but the tribal leader was telling the truth. There was no evil in her heart. There were no underhanded plans, no devilish schemes.

Zelda didn't quite know how to feel about it all. It was happening so fast that her head was spinning. What was she supposed to feel now? Relieved that Impa was on their side after all? Guilty for what she had put her and Ruto through? Nervous about what would happen once Impa woke? She didn't really know what to feel about the situation as a whole, but she _did_ at least know how to feel about Impa—worried for her health.

Just then, there was a soft knock on the bedroom door. Link let himself in, bearing two arms full of supplies. In his left arm, he was carefully balancing a hot bowl of water with a towel draped in it. In his right arm, he had a cold bowl of water with another towel. Zelda hurried over and took the hot bowl from him, setting it down on the floor by Impa. She then took the cold bowl from him as well. While she was setting that down beside the hot bowl, Link fished the smelling salts out of the pouch on his belt. "I think this is everything," he said as he handed it to Zelda.

She nodded. "Yes it is. Thank you for bringing it, Link. What did you tell them it was for?"

Link shrugged. "I told them that a couple gorons got into a fight and knocked each other out. Since they're too heavy to move, we need to wake them up."

Zelda smiled. "Perfect," she said. "Now, if you would kindly give us some privacy I would be appreciative. You may rejoin Ruto if you would like."

Link bowed a little, but he looked hesitant to leave. He glanced at Impa and back to the queen. "Can I trust you with her alone?" he asked, deciding to be honest about his apprehension. "Is she truly safe with you? I'm afraid you're going to hurt her."

Anger rose within Zelda, but it quickly dissipated when she realized how justified his concerns were. She shook her head a little and held out her hands beside her. "Would I ask for medicines to care for her if I intended to harm her?" she asked.

Link nodded. "I guess not. Just…please. Treat her kindly. We need her." He sighed. "I will have the servants send up her weapons. If Impa is armed and with you, I suppose I won't have the guards return."

Zelda nodded. "That will be fine. Thank you."

Link closed the door behind him gently, and Zelda got to work. She started by taking off her gloves and setting them on the vanity. Then, pushing up the long sleeves of her dress, she dragged her vanity stool over to the bedside and positioned the two bowls on either side of it. Finally, Zelda took a seat and looked at her patient. She was close enough to Impa now to begin evaluating how best to wake her. The sheikah's breath rose and fell in a steady rhythm. Despite that, there was a sheen of sweat on her skin, as if she were suffering a fever. Zelda averted her eyes from Impa's face to the bowl of warm water. That would be a good a place as any to begin.

She picked up the cloth and rung out the extra water, careful not to drip on the expensive rug or her expensive dress. Dabbing it over Impa's forehead, cheeks, and neck, the cloth wiped away the residue of cold sweat on the sheikah's skin. The queen's touch was feather-light. Impa's skin was tanned from time spent training outside, and yet it was also soft underneath Zelda's fingertips. When the damp cloth caressed the sheikah's neck, the water pooled in the notch between her clavicles and trembled as she inhaled. Zelda's breath caught, despite her pointed focus. Shaking her head a little, the queen put the cloth back in the warm water and placed her hand on Impa's forehead. The sheikah was very hot. She certainly didn't have a fever, at least the queen didn't think so, but the warm cloth would not have much effect waking her up. A cooler cloth would be better.

Nodding to herself, Zelda picked up the smelling salts and the cool cloth. She waved the smelling salts under Impa's nose with one hand and patted her face and neck with the cool cloth in her other hand. This seemed to be much more effective, as the queen had suspected. It wasn't long before Impa started to move around a little. Zelda dampened the cloth and kept working. Impa groaned and her forehead scrunched up. Finally, as if waking from a deep sleep, her eyes blinked open.

The queen found herself frozen by a confused red gaze. As Impa comprehended the sight of Zelda's face bent low over hers, the queen couldn't seem to make herself move, not even to set down the salts and the cloth. Impa's hand twitched and rose slightly, and then curled into a fist and lowered back to her side. After another moment of awkward stillness, the tribal leader squirmed a little and cleared her throat. "Uh, your majesty?"

Zelda jumped. "Oh, I am sorry," she said, trying to hide the blush that wanted to creep into her cheeks. She put the cold cloth back into the water and set the salts on the nightstand. "I am glad you are awake. How do you feel?"

Impa shrugged. "Confused, and tired, but okay I think. What happened?"

Zelda bit her lip a little. "You…well, you passed out in the hidden room, when I was…getting to know you better."

Impa's eyes widened a little, and then she nodded slowly. "When you were investigating me from the inside out, you mean," she said, her voice a little harsher than she had intended.

Zelda looked down at her own hands. She couldn't look Impa in the eye. "Yes," she murmured.

"And did you find anything?" Impa asked. She tried to push herself up in the bed so she wasn't looking at her accuser and queen from such a prone position.

"Please, Impa, do not rise," Zelda said, pushing the warrior back onto the bed. It didn't take much force. The sheikah's body was still recovering. "You should rest."

"You didn't answer my question," Impa insisted, although she did comply and lay back on the pillows. "Did you find anything?"

Zelda shook her head. "No," she said. "I did not find anything evil inside of you. I only found good."

Impa sighed and closed her eyes. "I had almost hoped that you would find something…some suppressed evil memory or deed that would justify all of this."

"Impa, I am—"

The sheikah woman shook her head. "Please, don't." she protested. "I am not ready to hear what you have to say. My heart isn't strong enough."

Zelda closed her eyes. She could feel tears welling up in her throat, but she swallowed them back. She would not cry now. It would not help anything. Instead, she took a couple deep breaths and searched her mind for something to say to fill the silence between them. "Is there anything… anything I can get for you?"

Impa seemed to think for a moment. "Are we in your chambers?" she asked, looking past Zelda to see the room.

The queen nodded. "Yes, Link brought you here. I asked for his help."

The sheikah nodded. She knew that Link would have a lot of questions of his own later. "Okay. And where is he now?"

"I let him go with Ruto. He is sending the guards to bring your weapons to my chamber, so we both thought I would be safe without him for the evening."

Impa nodded again. Silence fell between them. "So," the sheikah said after a few awkward moments. "How long are you going to keep me here?"

Zelda's face drooped a little. "I had hoped…" she shook her head. "Never mind. I would like you to stay at least until Link returns to the adjoining room, so I can be sure you have had enough time to rest. After that…well, you may leave or you may stay. This room is yours as well. I was wrong about a lot of things, including about kicking you out of it."

Impa bit the inside of her lower lip and closed her eyes. "Zelda, please…" she murmured, her tone almost begging.

"No," Zelda insisted. She fisted her hands in her lap, catching the fabric of her dress in the grip. "I have to say it now, or I will lose the nerve. I am sorry for what I did to you. There are no excuses for my behavior. I was wrong, what I did to you was unjustified, and you have every reason to hate me."

Impa groaned a little and rubbed her head. "I don't hate you," she murmured. The intensity of this conversation was making her head hurt, but the ache in her heart was even worse. "I should. Ruto has said it. Everyone has. They think that I should hate you, or at least be furious with you. I really should."

"They are right," Zelda said. "I am sorry that I had to force my way into the very core of your being before I believed what everyone, even my own council and Link himself, has been telling me. What my own heart has been telling me. My power should never be used in such a way. I…I went a little crazy."

Impa started to sit up, but she immediately regretted the decision and laid back on the pillows, her head swimming. "A little crazy? Zelda, I did nothing wrong but try to protect you from Wizzro and you tarnished my name in the eyes of the whole country, including my own people. You stripped me of everything that I have spent my whole life working towards and gave it all to someone who didn't want it to begin with. Not only did you try to ruin my life, you ruined Link's by association. He never wanted this duty. I did."

Zelda was looking down at the ground. "I know," she murmured.

Impa shook her head carefully. "No, you don't know," she said. "I returned to the village where my mother had just been murdered in utter disgrace. When I led her funeral, I looked out upon faces I have known my entire life. They looked back at me with disdain and accusation, thinking that I had played a part in killing my own mother. Yes, you lost your father in a horrible way, Zelda, but no one ever accused you of killing him. You didn't have to find a way to systematically prove to your people that you weren't a murderer and a psychopath, at the same time as you were trying to grieve. I did, and it's because of you."

The tribal leader's eyes were full hurt as they bored into Zelda. The queen opened her mouth, as if to offer some apology or defense, but there was nothing to say in the face of Impa's accusations. Instead, she just closed her mouth again as Impa continued. "You know, with all of the effort you poured into tarnishing my image and making me an enemy of the state, you could have been helping me figure out what really happened. Instead, I had to lead that investigation on my own, without your resources or input. You're lucky I was successful."

Zelda blinked and sat up a little straighter. "You were?" she asked, shocked out of her shame.

Impa nodded. "Yes. I know the whole story, or at least as much of it as we can figure out. It's a long one, and I don't have the energy to tell you right now. Maybe tomorrow. I'm not sure if her assistants are even relevant to the larger campaign, and they are being dealt with internally. I will tell you the underlying tension that led her astray, though: it began as a personal vendetta between her and our mothers that was allowed to fester over many years."

The queen's brow furrowed. "A personal vendetta against our mothers? Do you mean that Queen Zelda the Fourteenth and Tribal Leader Tikala knew each other deeper than just political relations? There is no record of a personal friendship, and my father never mentioned her."

Impa rubbed a hand over her face and lay back into the pillows, closing her eyes. "It's a long story," was all she said. Zelda nodded.

"I understand, you are very tired. I will leave you, then." The blond woman stood from her stool. She grabbed it and started to drag it back to the vanity when Impa's voice stopped her.

"Where are you going?" Impa asked, her voice still irritated. "I've been entrusted with you until Link returns. You can't leave the room."

Zelda gestured toward the bed where Impa used to sleep. "I thought I would use your old bed, since you are recovering in mine."

"No, don't do that. I can walk over to that bed. Not much of a guardian if I can't." She started to sit up, and her head spun.

Zelda rushed over to the bedside and placed her hands on Impa's arm. "Please, do not push yourself. You were out cold. I think it is a combination of tonight's events and the prolonged physical and mental exhaustion you have put yourself through. You need a good night's rest, and that bed will do you wonders."

"Come on, Zelda. I'm not a child," Impa said.

"No," Zelda's voice and hands were firm. "You will rest, even if I have to put you back to sleep myself."

Impa sighed. "Fine," she said. "But as soon as I'm able to, I'm getting out of here. You can't make me stay."

"Of course," Zelda said, a touch of sorrow in her voice.

Impa furrowed her brow. "How do you even know what I've put myself through? You haven't been around."

Zelda's shoulders slumped. "I've had you watched. For safety. My spies told me you haven't been sleeping."

Impa rolled her eyes, as if saying _of course you did_, and rolled over to turn her back to the queen. The conversation was obviously over. Zelda turned and walked to her walk-in closet. Inside, she changed into a warm nightgown and hung her regular gown on a rack for the maids to clean. Walking back into the room, she saw Impa's Biggoron Sword and Naginata leaning against the inside of the door. A guard must have slipped them in and closed the door again while she was changing.

Satisfied that the weapons were there and Impa was resting, Zelda blew out the candles and separated the logs in the hearth so the fire would die down naturally. The room darkened, and the dying firelight cast her shadow dancing around the room as she crossed over to Impa's old bed. With a sigh, she slipped under the comforter and closed her eyes. In the darkness, all she could hear was the crackling of the dying fire and Impa's steady breathing mixing with her own. Outside the window, the soldiers were still going strong. Their merriment would last deep into the night.

Over the distant sounds of revelry, Impa's voice drifted to Zelda's hearing. It was soft and sad now, but easily audible over the soft crackling of the fire. "Ruto says that all of that was really because you were afraid of how you felt about me. Is that true?"

Zelda's eyes opened. She turned on her side to face the larger room. The dull orange of the coals flickered over her face as she looked up toward the large royal bed. Impa wasn't looking her way, but she could see the rise of the quilts where Impa's body was nestled. She didn't answer right away. She hadn't really had time to reevaluate her motivations yet. If all of those dreams and longings weren't forced into her mind and heart with sorcery by Impa herself, which Zelda knew now was definitely not true, then she supposed there was only one answer: she really was in love with Impa. Actual infatuated, terrifying, consuming love.

"Yes," she finally said as she stared into the dying coals. "Yes, I suppose I _was_ afraid."

Impa did turn to face Zelda now, and she peeled the quilt down just enough so that she could see the queen's face. "What was there to be afraid of? I never forced myself on you."

Zelda sighed, but didn't look back at the sheikah woman. "Of love itself, I guess. I have never known true love. Not like that."

"But your father loved you," Impa said, speaking before she remember that she was still mad at the queen. "And your mother."

Zelda shrugged. "Yes, sure. My father loved me in his way. But I'm not so sure about my mother. The royal records of her death are a forgery. They say she died of medical complications when I was a young child, but that's not exactly true. It was a mental sickness that killed her. She loved another, I guess, and she killed herself for lack of that person. I suppose that she could not find enough love in my father or myself to live for. My father tried to love me, but he could not help but be reminded every time he looked at me of the fact that his wife loved someone else so much that she would rather die than spend her life with us."

"I'm sorry Zelda," Impa said. "Truly. I didn't know."

Zelda shrugged. "No one does. Father had the medical records changed, and then he hid the wounds at the ceremony. No one knew the truth, except for me. I…I was the one who found her." Zelda wiped a tear from her eyes and looked from the dying fire to Impa, whose face was now full of sorrow. "So, to return to your question Impa, yes. Ruto is right. I was afraid of how I felt for you. I had not allowed myself to even really focus on what that emotion really was, but I could not stop myself in those moments we shared before the battle. What I felt was so intense it seemed like it was taking control of my decisions, my free will, my heart. In my experience, love that strong, that intoxicating, does not give life. It gives death. I never wanted to love like that, like my mother loved, and when I saw my father's death, and you covered in…" she swallowed, trying to push that image away. "It all just compounded. I snapped. I needed to get rid of you and the feelings you brought up in me, at any cost. I went crazy for a while. By the time I started to be able to rethink what I had done, it was too late, so I just chose to continue blaming you. It was the easy way. I am sorry."

After Zelda's voice faded, silence hung in the air. What could Impa say in response to that? It was understandable, but that did not make it right. Impa and Zelda stared at one another as the embers' light danced across their faces and in the depths of their eyes. There was so much that each of them _could_ say, and yet somehow it felt wrong to speak. Each of them struggled with their own feelings and misgivings, their own thoughts and fears. What could either of them say that would be sufficient to mend the rift between them? So they just stared at each other until the embers died and the room was awash in darkness. In the shadows they could barely see the outline of each other's faces, and yet they continued to stare and struggle.

Finally, Zelda slipped out of the bed and crossed over to where Impa lay. The sheikah scooted over a little, and the queen sat on the edge of the bed. She reached over and ran her long fingers through Impa's hair. "I do have very strong feelings for you," she whispered, more to herself than to Impa. "It terrifies me, but I do. I am sorry for what I did to you in my effort to run away from that."

Impa sat up slowly and rested her back against the head board. She had been laying down long enough to settle her spinning head. Maintaining eye contact with the blond woman opposite her, Impa reached out and took Zelda's hand in her own, twining their fingers together. "You know, you don't _have_ to _love_ me," she said. "We've barely known each other, and there is such history between our families. We can just _like _one another a lot. No pressure."

Zelda shook her head. "I do not know what you mean by history," she said, "but I don't think I have a choice but to care for you deeply. We have known one another for centuries. I could see it all inside of you and feel the centuries of togetherness when we were connected. Do you not feel the same?"

"I have felt it," Impa said, her voice lowering again. "I have felt all of the lifetimes that I have known and served you when we were connected." She paused and caressed the back of Zelda's hand with her thumb. "And yes, Zelda, I do have feelings for you as well. But there is something you should know."

The queen's brow furrowed. "What is it?" she asked.

Impa squeezed Zelda's hand a little tighter, searching her eyes for a sign of her reaction to the information she was about to receive. "The person your mother was in love with…I know who it was," Impa said. Zelda didn't respond, but her face became apprehensive so the sheikah continued with caution. "That's a large part of the information I uncovered in the sheikah city. What they did in the name of that love is the underlying motivation behind Kishla's betrayal." Impa paused, worried about the queen's reaction. She had not been very stable lately, and this news was bigger for her than Impa had previously known. "Zelda…it was my mother. Queen Zelda the Fourteenth was in love with Tribal Leader Tikala, my mother."

Zelda shook her head, as if wanting to say _no, it's not possible_, but she didn't withdrawal her hand or pull away. She only rubbed her eyes with her free hand and was silent for a moment. When she felt she could speak calmly, she asked, "if that is true, then what did their love have to do with Kishla?"

"Kishla was overcome by jealousy and a twisted sense of honor," Impa explained. "She was jealous for two reasons: first, because mom was chosen for Tribal Leader as a child instead of her, who was an accomplished adult. Second, she was jealous because my mom was closer to her Zelda than she was. She felt like all of her hard work was for nothing, and destiny had passed over her as a failure."

Zelda nodded. "Okay…and the twisted sense of honor? What did she do that she thought was so honorable?"

Impa rubbed Zelda's arm with her free hand and continued. "Well, she's done a few things over the years. She told your grandparents about Tikala and the princess's love affair, even though it had been going on for years. As a result, your grandparents arranged a marriage they found suitable and forced your mother into it. Your mother never even met your father before their engagement."Impa paused and looked in Zelda's eyes to see how she was reacting.

The queen was staring past her at the wall. When she noticed Impa looking, she just squeezed Impa's hand a little and murmured, "I am fine. Please continue."

"Your mother was determined to find a way, though," she explained. "Once you were born, she invited Tikala for an audience with her and the king. Mom brought me along, and I vaguely remember how big the main chamber was, and how blond the baby's hair was nestled in the queen's arms. The queen framed the offer as a way to bridge the fractured relationship between the Crown and the Sheikah Tribe. Tikala's daughter was to be raised as a warrior, and when she was of age she would become the protector of the queen's newborn heir, Princess Zelda the Fifteenth. This is why I was singled out, Zelda. It wasn't because of my talent or some scheme by Kishla. It was organized by our mothers, so that their love could somehow live on through their children."

Zelda was frowning. "But, that is against all of our traditions," she said. "The guardian has never been chosen that way. It was wrong."

Impa nodded. "Yes, it was. When I found out, I felt used and betrayed by my own mother. She should never have agreed."

"So Kishla had to follow through with those wishes," Zelda said, thinking through the implications of that revelation the same way that Impa had. "She must have extended her feeling of personal betrayal to a feeling that the whole country had been secretly betrayed by the Hylian Dynasty. That must have been when she started plotting to bring that 'twisted dynasty' down." Spurned by this sudden revelation, Zelda stood up and balled her hands into fists. "It makes sense now. She thinks that she is purifying the dynasty of corruption, that's her motivation. Seeing us together must have been the final nail on the head that spurred her dormant plans into action."

Impa watched Zelda pace, but she didn't stand up. She knew it was would just make her head spin. "Years of jealousy and hatred can have severe effects on people. In Kishla, it took one betrayal of tradition and blew it up into a twisted need to save Hyrule from a fallen dynasty. She thinks that she is the savior."

Zelda stopped by the bedside and rubbed her temples with her fingertips. "How do I explain this to my council without betraying our mothers' secret?"

"Maybe you shouldn't protect them," Impa said. "I have been conducting investigations within my tribe to root out who aided Kishla or knew about her plans. In the process, bits and pieces of the real story have come out. They have taken it well."

The queen sat back down on the bed and took Impa's hand in both of hers. "No offense intended," she started, "but hylians are not exactly as comfortable with same sex relationships as sheikah are. I fear they will get hung up on the detail."

Impa shrugged. "Who cares if they do, Zelda? You're the queen, it's not like you're an elected official. So it's not a popular detail? Maybe hiding their love in the first place was our mothers' true offense. If they had just courted openly, then the country could have wrestled with its old fashioned opinions and figured it out. Hyrule is now allied with three nations who are open to the practice. It is alone in its beliefs." The sheikah shrugged. "Anyway, there are much more important things happening right now than worrying that your war council might freak out about our mothers' relationship. They need to know Kishla's reasoning so they can figure out if that can be used against her, or if it can be used to figure out her military thinking and deduce her next steps."

Zelda sighed. "Perhaps you are right," she said. She blinked a bit, as if trying to clear away the information she had just learned. "Anyway, we should put this aside for tonight and rest. You need to regain your strength, and we both have a big day tomorrow."

She started to get up to return to the smaller bed, but Impa caught her wrist. Zelda looked down at Impa's hand and then back up at her face. The warrior smiled sheepishly. "You…could stay, if you wanted to," the sheikah murmured. "I've missed you."

Zelda smiled, but there was a sadness in her eyes. "A part of me wants to," she said, her voice equally soft. "But this…us…it is so complicated now. I mean, are our feelings even our own, or was that somehow rigged by our mothers too? I do not know what to think."

Impa shrugged. "I've had longer to live with this knowledge than you," she conceded, "but I know that I truly have feelings for you, despite everything that has happened. Being apart from you has only proven to me that they really were my own, not some unknown magic caused when we are together. Whether you are beside me or far away, whether you love me or hate my guts, I can't seem to stop myself. I love you Zelda, whether I want to or not. Whether I should or not. I love you, and this love is my own."

Zelda's eyes teared up. She opened her mouth to reply, to say those words back to the sheikah woman, but nothing came out. She stood frozen, staring at the woman who loved her but unable to reciprocate. She could feel all of the tension that had built up within her heart pressing up against the love she had been trying not to feel. Stuck between the two, it was as if she could neither let go of her tension nor let go of her love. But sitting in front of her was a woman who was freely offering her heart, despite everything that had happened between them, and the queen could feel her heart move toward that love of its own accord. It would not be fettered by her fears any longer. It knew what it wanted, and that was Impa.

Zelda found her body crawling onto the bed on its own. Moving on her hands and knees, she went to the head of the bed where Impa's head rested. Gentle, mindful of Impa's physical weakness, the queen placed her hands on either side of the sheikah's face and looked into her eyes. Cornflower blue gazed into crimson red in the dark, and both of their breathing came in short bursts. The tips of their noses brushed.

"Zelda, what are you—"

Zelda pressed her lips to Impa's. Although more knowledgeable than their first one, the kiss was still clumsy. It took Impa a moment to even comprehend what was happening. This was the last thing she had expected the queen to do. When her mind caught up, she cupped her fingers under Zelda's chin and kissed her back.

Zelda leaned in to Impa's lips. What she lacked in skill, the queen certainly made up in desperation. The kiss was hard, the caress of lips more than once interrupted by the scrape of teeth and the salty taste of tears running down Zelda's face. She almost seemed to be sobbing at the same time as she was kissing Impa, her lithe form heaving with the power of the choked back tears, but when Impa tried to pull away, the queen just pulled her back.

Finally, Zelda released her grip and the two women parted. Their chests heaved, short of breath. Tears and sweat glistened on both of their faces. Neither woman moved a muscle. Frozen, they looked at one another as if afraid that any movement would shatter the illusion and it would come crashing down around them. Any moment could see the other person realize that they were still too furious to actually want this, or waking up as they had so many times before. If they moved too soon they might find themselves alone in their beds covered with sweat, the taste of the other's kiss still lingering on the edges of their mind.

It was Zelda who moved first. She bit her bottom lip and reached out with one hand, cupping Impa's cheek in her palm. Her thumb stroked the sheikah's skin, and another tear escaped her eye. "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice barely above a breath.

Impa smiled. "Am _I _okay?" she laughed and reached up to take Zelda's hand in her own. "I am not the one who has been a bit emotionally unstable lately, to be frank. How are _you_?"

Zelda smiled sheepishly. "I am sorry," she said, but she did not move from her position crouching over Impa. "I…I am afraid. Afraid that this is a dream. Afraid that I will wake and not remember any of our reconciliation, or that wonderful kiss. Afraid that I will wake up alone, consumed by my own depression and fear. It has happened before. Day after day I have wiped the nighttime tears away, readied myself for the day, and dropped a gilded wall around my heart."

Impa sighed and tugged the queen down to sit beside her. Once Zelda was seated, the sheikah wrapped her arm around Zelda's back and pulled her in close. The blond woman sighed, and her head drifted down to rest on Impa's shoulder as her arm snaked around Impa's stomach. Soon, Zelda could feel the warrior woman's warmth seeping into her body. It was as if she was not just being held by Impa's arms, but rather, she was being held by her whole life force. Into this calming state, the sheikah's voice drifted softly to Zelda's ears. "This is real," the sheikah said, "I am real, and you are real, and we are here. It isn't a dream. And, if I may be so bold as to say it, that kiss was better than any dream could have been."

Zelda smiled into Impa's shoulder and held her a little tighter. "It could not have been that good with me blubbering the whole time."

"That's exactly _why_ it was good, though." Impa turned her face into Zelda's hair and inhaled deeply. The princess's long blond hair draped around them like a cape of sunlight. Her warmth and her scent filled Impa. It snuck into the solitary recesses of the sheikah's heart and nestled there, fitting inside like her heart existed for Zelda to fill. Impa could feel a lump rise in her throat. She pressed a kiss into Zelda's scalp and smiled into her hair. When she spoke, she did not move her lips away from Zelda's hair, and the golden strands brushed back and forth against her lips. "It was good because it was you. Authentic and bare and ugly and beautiful you, and I love you, ugly parts and all."

"I love you too, Impa."

The sheikah's heart caught in her throat. For a moment, she stopped breathing, and she looked down at Zelda with her mouth hanging open. "What?" she finally asked, her red eyes shining in the moonlight spilling into the room. It was the first time that Zelda actually said the words to her.

Zelda raised her head and their eyes met. Her eyes were bloodshot from crying, her nose was red and running, and her mouth trembled with happiness and fear alike—and she was more beautiful in that moment than Impa had ever seen her. "I love you, Impa," Zelda repeated.

A grin spread across Impa's face. It was silly and ecstatic and full of joy. "Are you sure?" she whispered, laughing at how ridiculous she sounded.

The blond had never seen her guardian this happy before. Unable to restrain herself, she started laughing too. "I'm very sure," she said. "I am telling the truth. I really do love you." They leaned in for a kiss at the same time. Their arms wrapped around each other, their souls intertwining within their breasts, and after a moment neither woman could tell who initiated the kiss, or who continued it, or where one woman's body began and the other's ended. The long night was over and the sun was on the horizon

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

**Author's Notes:**

Hello everyone. It has been a while since this was updated, but I hope the wait was worth it. Enjoy.

~The Wolfess

****If you enjoy my writing, please check out the Doppelganger Trilogy. You can find books 1 and 2 completed on my profile.****


	17. Chapter 17

*****ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY****

!

**In Sotto Voce**

_By The Wolfess_

_!_

**Chapter 17**

When the queen's eyes opened the next morning, the first thing she saw was Impa's face. The sheikah's eyes were closed and her mouth was slightly open, a little bit of drool glistening in the corner of it. Her white hair was disheveled, sticking out of its clips and braids in slightly curly rouge strands. Zelda smiled. The warrior woman was sound asleep, and yet even in rest she looked fierce. The blond wanted to reach out and trace the tip of her finger along the edges of Impa's facial tattoos, but she restrained herself. Doing so would wake the sheikah woman up, and she was having such a wonderful time watching her and listening to sound of their hearts beating together. For a moment, at least, their relationship could be simple and the world peaceful.

Unfortunately, a rapping on the door interrupted her quiet observations. "Your Majesty?" It was Link's voice. "Are you awake, Queen Zelda?"

Impa inhaled sharply as she jolted awake, but Zelda's hand was on her shoulder to calm her. "Good morning, Link. Yes, I am awake. I will be slow getting ready this morning. Please order ahead and have breakfast prepared for four."

"Four, your highness?" Link's voice was confused.

"Yes," Zelda said, smiling down at Impa as she spoke. The sheikah woman was blinking and rubbing her eyes, obviously not quite awake. "I would like Ruto and Impa to join us."

Link was quiet for a moment on the other side of the door. Zelda couldn't tell if he was still confused, or if he was just sighing in relief. "That sounds wonderful," he finally said. "I will have breakfast prepared then. And should I fetch Ruto?"

Zelda looked down to Impa with a questioning look. "No way she'll be awake yet," the sheikah muttered. "Better wake her up so she can get ready." Zelda nodded.

"Yes, Link, we had better give her a wakeup call." She paused a moment, and then cleared her throat a little. "Link?"

"Yes, Queen Zelda?"

Zelda smiled, though she knew he couldn't see it. "Thank you, Link."

There was another pause, and the blond could hear the smile in Link's voice when he answered. "You're welcome, your highness."

Link's footsteps retreated from the door, and the queen looked back down at the woman beside her. Impa was awake now, and her face was soft as she smiled up at Zelda. "Good morning, Zel," Impa said.

Zelda grinned. "Good morning to you too, beautiful." The sheikah woman blushed. She obviously wasn't used to being called beautiful. Zelda made a mental note to tell her that more often. "Come here," she whispered as she leaned in for a good morning kiss. She rubbed her lips over Impa's a couple times and then pulled back. When Impa's head raised off the pillow to follow Zelda's lips, the blond giggled and kissed her.

"Not fair, learning how to tease so soon," Impa said, but she was smiling.

"Hmm, I get the feeling you are going to be fun to tease," Zelda replied. She winked, but as quickly as they playful mood had come, so now it went. The queen sighed and laced her fingers together in her lap, looking down at the sheets. "Impa, before we go to breakfast we should talk about last night," she said, her voice apologetic but matter-of-fact.

The sheikah pushed herself up to sit with her back against the headboard. "I guess so," she said, though she was reluctant. "I just wish it could wait a little. That for just this morning, we could pretend that everything was simple between us. Just two women finding love."

Zelda shifted to lean back against the headboard beside Impa. She took the sheikah's hand in her own and looked at their joined hands as she spoke. "That wouldn't be the truth, though, and I have had enough of telling myself lies." Impa nodded, and Zelda continued. "In the spirit of that, please, tell me how you are really feeling right now. Now that you are rested and some of the intensity of what we shared has worn off. What are you thinking?"

Impa chuckled. "We haven't been apart so long that I have suddenly become comfortable with sharing my feelings," she said, remembering how Zelda used to ask her to try to share more when they were together before. "But I will try." The sheikah took a deep breath and thought for a minute before she spoke next. "I guess I feel conflicted."

Zelda nodded. "Okay. Conflicted how?"

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. This was obviously important to Zelda. "Well, on one hand I'm really happy. We shared a lot of things. You apologized for what happened. The kissing is nice," she pushed the queen's shoulder with her own and grinned. "But I'm also apprehensive. What happened was really sudden, and had terrible repercussions. It's hard to really trust you now. What if you 'go crazy' again? I can't live my life afraid that I could lose it at any time because you're unhappy or insecure." She looked at Zelda apologetically. The queen was looking down at their hands again, rather than up at her face. "I also feel guilty," Impa added. She sighed. This part was something she hadn't wanted to think about.

"Why guilty?" Zelda asked, still not looking at her. "You didn't do anything wrong."

Impa picked at the sheets with her free hand. "I feel guilty because in my culture, what I'm doing is considered a crime. Almost, at least."

The queen did look at Impa now, and her brow furrowed in confusion. "But I thought same-sex relationships were accepted in Sheikah culture? Why are you committing a crime?"

"They _are_ accepted," the sheikah said. "If it was any other woman I was falling love with, they wouldn't care. I could declare tomorrow that I'm marrying Princess Ruto and we would celebrate. But it's not any woman…it's you. To be with you in a long-term capacity, like I want to, is to bring an end to the Line of Hylia and our tribe's way of life. It's not a punishable crime, but it's still pretty serious." Impa shook her head and sighed. "So, yes. I feel conflicted. There you are. I'd rather just focus on the kissing and be happy for a couple hours."

"I'm sorry that being with me makes your life complicated," Zelda said, a hint of anger in her voice.

Impa raised an eyebrow and tugged at the queen's hand. "Hey, come on, I didn't mean to hurt you. I was just trying to be honest."

Zelda let out a puff of air in frustration and let go of Impa's hand, crossing her arms over her chest. "If everyone would focus more on the wellbeing of the country and less on policing me and my ancestors' reproductive systems, we would not be having this war to begin with. Seriously, who do they think they are? The bloodline of Hylia is so spread out at this point, anyway, that I am sure every noble family in Hyrule has some. The cycle would find a way to birth the next Zelda if I didn't reproduce."

"Woah, hey," Impa reached over and took Zelda's hand again. She rubbed the back of it with her other hand and tried to catch the queen's eye. "You're right, Zelda. You are definitely right. But perhaps now, with an enemy army on our doorstep, is not the right time to challenge a millennia of belief and tradition?"

"When will it be the 'right time'?" Zelda demanded, but she softened and leaned into Impa's shoulder, closing her eyes. "I just remember what you said last night about our mothers. It kept me awake most of the night. I keep thinking that if my grandparents had been more concerned with my mother's happiness than they had been with making sure she had a baby, maybe she would still be alive. Maybe your mother would still be alive too, and all the people who died in the Battle of the Armies of Ruin, and this war and sadness wouldn't be happening."

"Oh Zelda," Impa wrapped her arms around the queen and held her tightly. "If it had happened that way, I wouldn't have you. I'm sorry you have to deal with this."

Zelda wrapped her arms around Impa's waist and pressed her face into the sheikah's shoulder. "What does this mean for us?" she murmured, her voice muffled. "Distrust and guilt aren't good foundations for a courtship, if it was even possible for us to do that. Which it is not. If we pursued this relationship, is this all we are going to be able to be? Very close friends, or secret lovers? Goddesses, why does this have to be complicated?"

Impa laughed. "Because it's us, and we're complicated people." She pressed a kiss into Zelda's hair and sighed. "Look, Zel, we don't have to figure out the prospect of courtship or our relationship today. I promise you that I will stay by your side for as long as you will have me, and we will figure out the rest when we can. For now, I am just grateful for this beautiful morning we get to share, and the friends who are waiting for us to meet them for breakfast."

Zelda almost jumped straight out of the bed. "Oh, I almost forgot about breakfast!" she exclaimed, clambering off the bed. Her hair was puffed out in disarray as she rushed into her bathroom to try to fix it, and Impa just shook her head and chuckled as she also got out of the bed. She was mostly ready already, having fallen asleep in her regular clothes, so she washed her face, redid her hair, and called it good. Zelda, however, always took longer to get ready. There were so many _steps_ to her process in the morning that the warrior woman hadn't even learned them all yet.

By the time Impa went to see if she could help, Zelda had her hair done and was choosing a dress. Thinking about the day full of public appearances ahead of her, she chose one of her more traditional royal gowns. The sheikah left the room so the blond could put on as many layers as she could by herself, and reentered when she heard her name called. The queen was standing with her back to the door and had her hair pulled over her right shoulder, the laces of her corset exposed and loose. "Will you lace me up?" she asked, peaking at Impa out of the corner of her eye.

"My pleasure," the sheikah responded, walking over to her and starting to tug at the laces. When they were tight and tied securely, Impa paused with her fingertips touching the queen's sides. Her breath caught in her throat, overwhelmed by how normal it felt to help Zelda dress. It felt like so long ago that it was a part of their every day routine. Swallowing a little, she trailed her fingers up the sides of the corset and over Zelda's exposed shoulders. The queen shivered, and Impa pressed a kiss on the back of her neck. Smiling, she turned Zelda around and rested her hands on the blonde's hips. She leaned in to brush their lips together—a question without words. The queen's lips parted, accepting, permitting.

Impa did not hesitate. She pressed her lips to Zelda's gently at first, just a chaste peck, followed by another which lingered a little. Then her lips parted, coaxing the queen's lips to follow her rhythm as they moved against each other. Zelda leaned into her guardian's body, draping her arms around Impa's shoulders as the sheikah's mouth leisurely explored. When the tip of Impa's tongue brushed against Zelda's lips, once again asking, hoping, the queen opened her mouth wider and met the sheikah's tongue with her own.

The queen was willing and eager, her mouth yielding to Impa's gentle lips and probing tongue. She let the warrior lead, and her head spun with the pleasure of her taste. She felt like a student learning a new skill, and Impa was obviously an eager and patient teacher. She showed by example, and let Zelda try after. The kiss was gentle and explorative and fun, and when Impa pulled her lips away from Zelda's, she rested her forehead on the queen's and just held her close for a moment.

"Hm, quick study," she finally murmured, smiling into Zelda's eyes.

Zelda pressed another quick kiss to her lips before responding. "Good teacher," she said. "We should probably, you know, continue with getting ready. Waiting friends, right?"

Impa chuckled and stepped back, her hands leaving the queen's sides reluctantly. "Of course. Let me know if I can help you." She stepped out of the closet while Zelda commenced with the next steps in per process. Crossing to the door where her weapons were leaning, Impa strapped on her Biggoron Sword and waited. Once the last of her jewelry was in place and the final touches were put on her makeup, Zelda emerged from the closet looking like the picture of a Queen of Hyrule. The sheikah grinned and tilted her head as she watched the queen walk over to her, resisting the urge to kiss her again. They had things to do, people waiting. She held open the door and followed her out.

In the hallway, Link was already there waiting for them, and Impa smiled to see him. He had chosen to wear a red tunic with a black scarf—obviously to show silent solidarity with his sheikah friend. The gesture was obviously unnecessary now, but it still warmed her heart. "You're looking handsome this morning," she said as they started walking toward the breakfast hall. "Sheikah colors look good on you."

Link smiled. "I'm glad you think so." He then turned to Zelda. "We are dining in the Queen's Solar this morning. I thought it would be nice since that was the last place we dined together as a group."

"Very thoughtful of you," she said.

It wasn't a far walk to the solar. When they arrived, they found a groggy-looking Zora princess waiting with her arms crossed, her foot tapping impatiently on the ground. "Oh. My. Goddesses. What took you two so long? Did you have pre-breakfast in your room before coming to breakfast? And getting me up early too. Do you have any idea how late I was up last night?"

Impa practically bounced on her toes when she saw the Zora girl. She was dying to tell her what had happened, but with Link and Zelda around she couldn't quite yet. Instead she crossed over to her and shoved her shoulder gently, a big grin on her face. "Zelda _did_ say that she wanted to have breakfast with us last night, so it's your own fault for staying up late."

"I am sorry we took so long," Zelda said, clasping her hands in front of her. Impa could tell she was nervous around the Zora Princess. Things were still not healed between them, and the queen felt guilty. "Shall we start breakfast? I do not know about you three, but I am famished."

Ruto sighed dramatically. "Fine, fine. Lead the way."

Zelda went in first, and Impa trailed close behind her. Getting as close as she dared, the sheikah tugged on the queen's dress a little and whispered "relax. They're our friends. It's going to be fine." The queen shoulder's relaxed, just a little, but she otherwise didn't respond as she took a seat around the table. Impa sat on her left, Link on her right, and Ruto sat between the two guardians. There was a bowl of fresh fruit and a plate of hot, fresh muffins in the middle of the table, so they dug in while they waited for the main course to be brought in.

It was Impa who decided to break the awkward silence that had hung over the room. "So, what is the plan for the day? I know we have the feast tonight, but I'm sure there are meetings on the agenda that Ruto and I should be involved in before that."

Zelda swallowed the melon she was eating and nodded. "Yes, well, really there is only one meeting you are needed for. I am meeting with the war council this morning after breakfast to go over final details before we march tomorrow. It will be very important for you both to be there, but we can talk about the details after we have eaten. Besides that, there is nothing you need to be concerned about before the feast. I will be working with the organizers most of the afternoon."

Impa seemed a little crestfallen. She had hoped, wishfully perhaps, that she and the queen would be able to spend some time together before the party. She realized, now, that it was a foolish thought. Obviously the queen would be busy, and Impa herself should be practicing with her new sword in preparation for the battle. Resisting the urge to sigh, the sheikah picked off a piece of her muffin and popped it in her mouth.

Under the table, Zelda's gloved hand found its way to Impa's knee. The sheikah blinked in surprise, but didn't look at her. Instead she smiled to herself and covered the queen's hand with her own, lacing their fingers together. They both blushed a little, despite themselves, but Impa felt a little better. At least she wasn't the only one who was feeling disappointed.

A few servants entered then. One had a jug of orange juice and proceeded to fill glasses around the table. Another had a plate of scrambled eggs, and the third had a platter of breakfast meats. While the group was being served, Ruto examined the queen and her friend. She saw the smiles, and she saw the faint blushes, and she was suspicious. While Impa and Zelda were paying attention to the servants, the zora princess nudged Link with her elbow and nodded her head toward them. He followed her eyes and made an "Oh" shape with his mouth, then shrugged. He didn't know what was going on with them either.

When the servants had left, Ruto took a bite of her breakfast and decided to probe. "So, Impa, you never returned to dinner last night. You missed a delicious main course. I was wondering what could have distracted you?"

Impa's eyebrows raised and her eyes widened a little. "Uh, well," she said, fishing around in her mind for an excuse. "You know, I was just really tired, and I went to bed early." She glared at the zora, trying to communicate with her eyes _I'll tell you later, just shut up now._

Ruto smirked, her eyes dancing with mischief. "But I knocked on your door last night and you weren't there. I was concerned."

"Oh, I didn't know where my room was, so I found a random one and slept there," Impa lied. She was shooting daggers at the zora with her eyes now. _Shut up, shut up_, she thought. Zelda, too, looked uncomfortable. She appeared to be engrossed in eating her breakfast, not looking up to make eye contact with any of them.

Just when Ruto was about to fire off another uncomfortable question, there was a knock on the door. _Oh, thank Farore,_ Impa thought as Link got up from the table to see who it was. A soldier stepped in and bowed at the waist, waiting for the queen's permission to speak.

Zelda nodded for him to go ahead. "Excuse me, your majesty, I am sorry to interrupt," he started.

Zelda wiped her mouth with her napkin and set it in her lap. "Actually, your timing is perfect. We were just finishing. Please deliver your message."

When the solider straightened, Impa recognized him as one of the seniors in her training unit. _So he passed his final demonstration, _she thought. _Good for him._ She smiled and waved to him a little. He glanced at her and smiled back, showing he saw and recognized her greeting, but then continued with his message. "The war council has convened early, your majesty. They sent me to find you to ask if you would be able to meet with them early, or if they should commence initial discussions without you."

Zelda frowned a little, but nodded. "Thank you, Sir William. Please go on ahead and tell the council that I will come. Also, please ensure that there are two additional places at the table. One should be placed at my right and the other at my left hand."

Sir William bowed again. "Yes, my queen."

"Good, now you are dismissed." The solider slipped out. The sound of his boots clunking down the hallway faded before the queen spoke again. "I suppose that we are going to have to cut this breakfast short," she said. "Ruto, Impa, if you would both join me at the war council, I would be most grateful."

"Of course," Impa said. She was already in the process of standing, so she beat Link to Zelda's chair. He raised an eyebrow at her as the sheikah pulled the queen's chair out and helped her to her feet. Although he had a better idea of what happened the night before than Ruto, he still was confused about what exactly transpired in that room to make the two women seem so close to each other again. Unfortunately, it didn't appear that either he or Ruto were going to get any answers at the moment. He shrugged off his questions and fell into step behind the three women as they left the Queen's Solar and marched down the hallway toward the council chamber.

"Thank you both, again," Zelda said as they approached the doors. "Neither of you owe me assistance, I know this, but I thank you for it nonetheless. When we enter the hall, Princess Ruto if you could sit on my left hand, I would be most grateful. Impa, if you could sit on my right hand, I will be likewise in your debt."

Impa nodded her head slowly. "Yes, my queen."

Ruto was more hesitant. She crossed her arms in front of her and her fins fluttered in agitation. "Look, I hate to be blunt, but you've danced around what has suddenly healed between you two all morning and leave me no choice but to be the one with the clammy fins. Queen Zelda, you may have healed relationships with the sheikah somehow, but I am still reserving judgement on your character and fitness to lead this war effort. For the sake of our alliance with Hyrule, and due to the great fondness and respect I hold for Impa, I will sit on your left hand and give all appearances of being completely supportive in there. I want you to know, however, that I have not been impressed by your gifts and your fancy words, and I will be watching you. We have all been betrayed convincingly by a royal of Hyrule before, which I know better than others. There is no guarantee that you, yourself, are not another of the enemy's ghosts in disguise."

Zelda inclined her head. "I am sorry you feel that way," she said, "but I respect your decision and am grateful for your willingness to ally with us at all, given your experience with the poe disguised as my father. It was a traumatic experience for everyone, and I have done nothing to make it better for you. You have every right to keep an eye on me, and I am grateful that you are willing to do so."

Ruto nodded, and the twitching of her fins began to settle. "Okay then. Let's do this."

"Very well," Queen Zelda said, then she approached the guards at the doors. "Queen Zelda and her guard, Sir Link, followed by Princess Ruto of the Zora Kingdom, and General Impa, Sheikah Tribal Leader." The guards bowed, and then thrust the doors open. Each of them were introduced in a quick, business-like fashion, and then the guards stepped aside so they could enter.

Queen Zelda proceeded to the head of the table and sat down. Impa followed behind her and sat on her right hand, followed by Princess Ruto, who sat on the left. Link took up the rear, and standing behind the queen in silence. Once all were seated, they looked out over the gathered generals and councilmen. Zelda was pleased to see surprise on their faces as they looked from Impa and Ruto to the queen and back.

It was the snide Councilman Vanzrir who spoke first. "If I may be frank, your majesty?" he asked.

Zelda suppressed the smile that wanted to tug at the corners of her mouth. "As I am sure that each man in this chamber has the same thoughts that you want to express, and it has been a point of contention between us for many weeks now, I give you permission. Speak freely, if cautiously, Councilman Vanzrir."

The councilman gave a curt nod of his head, licked his lips thickly, and commenced. "I see that General Impa and Princess Ruto enter with you and sit beside you like friends, as well as allies. Is this true? Has the rift between you been mended?"

Zelda looked at Impa, who nodded back, and then at Ruto, who did the same, although she narrowed her eyes ever so slightly when she did so in a way that only Zelda would have seen. The queen turned her gaze back to the councilman and made eye contact when she spoke with him. "Mending such wounds and hurts as those that lie between our tribes is a process that spans months, even years. Because of this, it is hard for me to answer your inquiry with a definite 'yes', but I can say that positive steps are being made. There are the official steps we have made together, for starters: the official pardon of all charges, the rare gifts from the royal treasury, and the promotion to the rank of General for Impa, who previously held the rank of captain. These are all good things, but they were insufficient to begin the bridging of the gap that my personal vendetta caused to form between Hyrule and its allies."

The Queen paused a moment to take a breath and a sip of the water readied on the table for her before continuing. "As I have said, my personal vendetta caused this rift, and so I can assure you that I have taken and will continue to take steps toward personal reconciliation with both of these world leaders. It will be a long healing process, but they have been kind hearted enough to open themselves to my friendship once more. I can only pray that the rest of Hyrule may forgive my foolishness as readily as these two women have."

Silence fell on the room again. Finally, General Auru cleared his throat. "Well, I think this is great news, and a big relief. Now we can move beyond this and look forward. The plan is still to march out tomorrow, and we have a lot to discuss now that the sheikah and the zora are here."

"Thank you, General," Zelda said. "You are correct, and I ask that you all let me begin. New information has come to light about Kishla's history, her betrayal, and the motivations for it thanks to General Impa's dedicated investigation of the matter within her own tribe. We all know that the sheikah tribe generally keeps its information to itself, but Impa has agreed to share this information with us to help us better understand Kishla in order that we might better predict her next moves and ultimate goal." The queen turned her attention to the tribal leader at her side. "Impa, if you would do us the honor of relaying your information."

Impa nodded. "Thank you, your majesty," she said. She paused only briefly to flash the smallest hint of a reassuring smile toward Zelda before turning her gaze toward the council table and launching into the story. She censored parts of the story as necessary, but kept the relevant facts and details as plain and up for interpretation as possible. "So, what we can conclude from all of this is that Kishla thinks that she is helping Hyrule by overthrowing the Hylian Dynasty. It is a twisted point of view, but you can be sure that she is looking at Hyrule and deciding her moves in the same way she has in the past when coming up against our own enemies. Now, I do not have personal experience with her as a part of a war committee planning to defeat one of our past enemies. Neither has Queen Zelda. But many of you gentlemen on this council _do_ have that experience. Please, tell us what that was like. Help us to inhabit that mind space so that we can predict what she has been doing, or what she is going to do next."

The generals and military men present breezed right over the details of the romantic relationship and jumped right on the task presented. As they launched into old war stories, however, some of the younger councilmen present were obviously squirming. Although they were listening, they were hung up on the details of the romance. Impa resisted the urge to roll her eyes and tell them to grow up. Now was not the time to be distracted when they were supposed to be learning how Kishla thought and planned in a war.

The war stories went on for a while, and speculations and suppositions were thrown out for all to discuss and consider concerning Kishla's logic. After a while, they eventually agreed on the old sheikah woman's general disposition and thought process when planning for war, and they moved on to applying that to the current situation. A lot of thoughts and ideas where thrown out by everyone and debated. By the time that they settled on a few they could agree on, it was approaching early afternoon. The pre-war feast organizers were outside the door waiting on Zelda not-so-patiently.

"Gentleman, ladies, I am afraid that we are going to have to adjourn this council. We can be no more prepared that we are now, and I think that Kathleen and Geoffrey are going to have a cow each if I do not go out there to help them soon." Zelda nodded to Link, who pulled her chair out and helped her to stand. "Do you have any questions for me before I depart?" The queen asked.

"No your majesty," answered one of the men on the council.

"However, we would like to thank you for your efforts and contributions today," another one said. The rest of the council nodded and smiled. She had done well on every front, and they were impressed. Perhaps, some of them thought, she would be a fine ruler after all.

"You are welcome, and I would say the same of you," Zelda smiled , curtseyed a little, and then looked at Impa and Ruto. "Would you ladies be so kind as to accompany me to the door?"

Ruto and Impa agreed, and walked with the queen out of the hall. Once they were out and the doors had closed behind them, Zelda turned and smiled at them. "That went better than I had hoped," she said. "Thank you both tremendously. I owe each of you a huge personal debt."

Ruto smiled a bit. "Well, I do have to admit that you were great in there," she said. "A true queen. And your words about Impa and I were moving."

Zelda nodded a little and cast her eyes down. "They were nothing short of truth," she said. Behind her, two finely dressed people were fidgeting. One of them cleared their throats rather loudly, and Zelda sighed. "What is the point of hiring organizers if they need your input constantly?" she asked, exasperated. Still she shook her head and resigned herself. "I am afraid that I have to go, but it would be my great honor if you would dine with me tonight?"

Impa nodded. "I would love to," she said. Ruto agreed as well.

"Wonderful! I look forward to tonight, then." With a smile for them both, the queen turned and finally marched over to her waiting servants. "I am coming, I am coming! Do you not realize that I am trying to plan for a war that is starting tomorrow?"

Link held back for a second. "I have to follow," he said, but he turned to Ruto. "You. Get the information out of this one for both of us, will you? I'll sit by you tonight so you can fill me in."

Ruto giggled a little and her fins fluttered. "Of course, silly man. Now go, you're going to lose her down that hallway."

"Great!" Link grinned and then turned and ran to catch up with the queen. The doors were opening to allow the rest of the councilmen and generals to leave. Impa turned, planning to greet them and talk to them about the war and where they would like her tomorrow, but Ruto grabbed her arm and started dragging her down the nearest hallway.

"No you don't," she said. "No, you have things to answer for, and you are going to answer now. No more dodging! Goddesses, Impa, I stand by you through all of the dark times we just came through and you can't even tell me what's going on?"

"Shh, quiet Ruto! This is a very busy castle!" Impa said. "Look, I want to tell you, but I want us to be alone, okay? Can we go to your room?"

Ruto clicked her tongue impatiently, but she agreed. "Fine," she said. "I need to wet my skin anyway. The air is very dry today, and I want to be moist and beautiful for the party tonight, especially if that handsome Link is going to sit by me."

Impa laughed. "You are hilariously predictable," she said, smiling at her friend. Ruto just rolled her eyes and led the way to the room they had settled her into the night before. Impa closed the door behind them and watched as the zora princess walked straight into the large back room. She heard the sound of the Zora princess moving about. When she heard the distinctive sound of water magic generating water out of thin air, she knew that Ruto was filling her tub. Deciding to go for the polite route, the sheikah sat down on the vanity chair to wait.

In a moment, however, the Zora poked her head out. "Well, are you going to come in and talk to me or what? You're not shy or something are you? It's not like zoras usually wear clothing or anything. If we were home you'd see me naked every day. Really, clothing is itchy and I don't like wearing it."

"Uh, well, okay I guess," the sheikah stammered. She hadn't been around many zoras in her lifetime, certainly not zora princesses, and it was usually in a hylian setting when she had. She actually wasn't familiar with their disdain of clothing. Ruto's head disappeared again, and Impa heard her get into the water. Shaking her inhibitions off, the sheikah woman got up and walked on back.

When she got in there, she found that Ruto had already moved a chair over to the side of the tub for her to sit on. She sat down and looked firmly at the window behind the tub, rather than down at Ruto directly. The fish woman giggled. "You _are _shy, aren't you?" she said. "My my, some sheikah in here really hasn't had much experience with zora culture. I'll have to bring you to the Domain someday so you can really freak out. Won't that be fun?"

Impa rolled her eyes. "Whatever Ruto."

"Well, if it makes you feel better, I put some bubble bath solution in to pamper myself, so you can't see anything."

Impa sighed and looked down and the zora's face. "Thank you. And I _will _come to Zora's domain someday and get over myself, but maybe just not today."

"Okay, okay," Ruto said, making impatient circular motions with her hands. "Will you just skip to the story already? What in the sacred realm happened when you left to go to the bathroom?"

"Well, I didn't go to the bathroom, to start out with. I caught a glimpse of Zelda in the doorway and I knew she wanted me to follow her. So I did, and I found her in the secret enclosure."

"Which one?"

"The one that Kishla didn't know about."

Ruto nodded. "Oh okay, I got it. Continue."

"Well, what happened next is sort of…complicated. It's a long story, but suffice to say that Zelda and I have a spiritual bond." Ruto looked confused, and Impa sighed. "So, our spirits are connected? It's not just destiny, though that's certainly part of it. Something happened when Zelda discovered her magical core to bind my soul to hers. The point of this is to say that those obsessive dreams I've been having, the fact couldn't stop thinking about her or seem to get over her at all? Well, Zelda has been going through the same thing. I had a suspicion of what was happening, but as soon as I heard her talk I knew that a connection must have been formed the day of the battle and that's what was causing it all. Zelda, unfortunately, had thought that I was torturing her through magic this whole time. She didn't understand. I tried to tell her it wasn't true, but she didn't believe me. So I told her to go inside and see for herself."

Ruto's eyes opened really wide. "Okay, whatever this magical thing you two have got going on is way over my head. You told her to _go inside you_ and _look for herself_?"

Impa nodded. "Yes, spiritually _of course_. She's the holder of the Triforce of Wisdom, so her power is beyond what even she knows she can do. Anyway, she did whatever it was she needed to do for that, and she found that I was true and honest and all of her claims and suspicions were wrong."

"Just like that?" Ruto asked.

"Just like that," the sheikah confirmed. "But she went too deep and I passed out. Next thing I knew, I woke up in her bed. She woke me up with smelling salts and water, and her face was the first thing I saw. Well, we talked. We argued. We challenged each other. We asked questions and gave answers. I told her about our mothers, as you heard in there, and then I told her that I still love her."

"Because you're stupid like that," Ruto said, rolling her eyes. "Continue."

Impa smiled. "Well, be that as it may, I told her I was still in love with her, despite everything that has happened, or maybe because of it, and those feelings are completely my own. And she kissed me."

Ruto laughed out loud. "Seriously? Why does she do that? Just kiss you out of nowhere. She's so odd."

Impa shook her head. "I don't know. But you know what? She finally told me that she loves me too. Not 'I have feelings for you' or 'I care about you', but actually the L-word itself. She loves me back."

"Holy crappy,"Ruto said, her mouth hanging open a little. "She actually admitted it, then. That she loves you. She's has some major issues with that, right? And that went okay?"

"Yes it did," Impa confirmed. "So well, in fact, that we both fell asleep in each others arms and woke up together this morning."

"Well, that's rather incredible," Ruto said. "Congratulations are in order, I suppose. If you want that emotional wreck, then it sounds like you've got her."

Impa smiled, but it was more to herself than anything. "I suppose so," she said. "I hope so. We'll see."

Ruto splashed some water over her shoulders. "Why do you not sound so sure? If it went so well, what's the problem?"

Impa sighed, leaning back in her chair and looking out the nearby window. "The morning after happened. We woke up this morning and she wanted to talk about how I was _really feeling_."

Ruto snorted in laughter, then choked it back and gave Impa an innocent look. "Sorry, but, you and feelings don't get along."

"I know!" Impa exclaimed. "Well, I couldn't lie to her, so I told her the truth. That I felt conflicted. So she had to talk about what that meant, and then she got mad because of the fact that I feel guilty about the whole 'ending the bloodline of hylia and our whole way of life' thing. Not really mad at me, just mad about how unfair it is." The sheikah sighed and looked back at her friend. "I don't know. It's so complicated. When we're together, we're so happy and attracted to each other and in love. But then there's the fact that I'm not really sure I can fully trust her not to flip out again, and the fact that it's illegal in both of our cultures for us to really be together. She wants to fix all of these problems today and start a formal courtship, and we can't do either of those things. So we finally just decided to be grateful for the time we have and figure the rest out later. She's not happy about it, but what else can we do?" Impa bit her lip a little. "I'm not happy about it either."

Ruto raised her eyebrows in surprise. "You…want to formally court the queen of Hyrule?"

Impa shrugged. "I don't even know what that entails. I mean, maybe? I'd like to be able to decide for myself at least."

"Woah, woah," she rubbed her temple with one hand, as if her head hurt. "So, you would be okay with being involved in the first same-sex courtship in the history of Hyrule, and a _royal courtship_ at that, just to be with Zelda?"

Impa shrugged, and then started nodding. "Well…yes. Yes I would."

"Hold up, now, we need to talk about this," Ruto almost got out of the water in her urgency before she remembered Impa's shyness and got back in. "Look, I know you two have got some spiritual thing going on, but _in this life_ you've barely known each other. In the time you have known each other, there has been war and death and she almost destroyed your life. I admire how strongly you feel for her, I do, but you have to slow this ship down. Once you start courting the queen, you won't be able to go back. Especially not if Zelda wants to actually change the institution of courtship in Hyrule. If you court her, it has to be because you're going to marry her. All in, or not in."

Impa held up her hands in defense. "Hey, woah, wow. I didn't know you felt so strongly about this. It's not even possible right now, so what does it matter?"

Ruto sighed. "It matters. Zelda may be new this party, but there are many people out there—hylians and zoras alike—that care a lot about this and have been fighting for years for the right to court and marry the person of their choice under Hylian law. If that law were to change, it would affect a lot of people. The Zora Monarchy has been backing those who want to change the law, but we've had no support, response, or even acknowledgement from the Crown. If you and Zelda are going to try to change things, then you're going to have be all in. It's not just for you."

Impa nodded. "Okay, I'm sorry if I was cavalier about it. I'll make sure that if and when we try to change the law so we can court, I'll be all in." The zora princess seemed to relax, satisfied with her friend's answer. They fell into a comfortable silence as Ruto relaxed in her bath and the sheikah sat in contemplation. After a moment, however, Impa stood up and stretched. "I should get going. Tomorrow we march to war, and tonight we feast, so I have preparation to do for both myself and my people." Ruto agreed and Impa left to go to the practice square. It had been a very long time since she had been able to just practice alone. After the morning she'd had, she needed the time desperately.

**0000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

**Author's Notes:**

Hello readers!

Another month, another chapter. All previous chapters have been edited and updated, so feel free to give it another read through. Mostly grammatical corrections, but some scene changes as well. Hope you're all still enjoying it! Thanks for reading.

~The Wolfess

****If you enjoy my writing, please check out the Doppelganger Trilogy. You can find books 1 and 2 completed on my profile.****


	18. Chapter 18

*****ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY****

!

**In Sotto Voce**

_By The Wolfess_

_!_

**Chapter 18**

Baking in the heat of a late-afternoon sun, the Sheikah Tribal Leader moved through her steps with deliberate focus. The top half of her jumper hung over the edge of her waist armor to allow her bronzed skin to breathe. Her chest wraps were hot enough on their own and provided the necessary modesty. She transitioned through her steps like a mirage in the desert, her brow furrowed in concentration. The muscles of her back and shoulders flexed as she moved, shining with sweat, a visual reminder of the sheer power residing in her body. She would need that power soon, she knew. She had to focus.

Impa was alone on the practice square that hot afternoon. For once no eyes watched her movement or evaluated her performance. She was grateful for the moment of privacy. The Biggoron Sword was new to her, however familiar the style, and her body felt slow in handling it. If she was honest with herself, though, the sword was not the only thing driving her to the practice square that afternoon. Her chest was full of emotions and her head spun with the drama of the last few days. She needed to clear her head and lighten the burden on her heart. A warrior at heart, Impa knew only one way to do that.

Since her injury in the last battle, there had been little time between her healing and the investigation for individual practice. She regretted that now. There was a release that happened inside of her when she practiced. Stress, frustration, overwhelming emotions, energy—she let go of everything on the practice square, and in that way experienced freedom. Back when her sole job was to practice and better herself in her training programs, she was able to experience that freedom every day. Now, it was a rare sensation. She wished that she had made it a daily priority. Maybe then she wouldn't feel so wound up and unprepared.

Elsewhere within the walls of Hyrule Castle people were abuzz with talk of the feast that night, or whispering rumors about their favorite topic—the queen and her love life. Even the generals of Hyrule and the leaders of her own tribe would be taking the afternoon off of worrying in order to enjoy themselves. Impa, however, found her thoughts lingering not on the promised feast, but on the morning after. She thought not of Zelda's face tonight at the party, but of her face at the head of Hyrule's army marching toward Gerudo Desert. She thought of the queen's golden armor shining in the sunlight, the hero who would ride by her side, and the shadow that waited for them all.

The hair on the back of her neck stood up at the thought of their enemy. They were an enigma, and Impa did not share her queen's confidence that the Sheikahs' presence would make the difference she asserted they would. Kishla was a respected Sheikah at one time. Kishla knew what Hyrule would do, and she knew what the Sheikah were capable of. Impa tried to place herself in the old Sheikah's frame of mind. If it were her that had betrayed Hyrule, she would know that Hyrule would try to make the first move in the next battle. She would have a trap waiting for them, patient as the Venus Fly Trap waiting for its unsuspecting prey to land right in its open mouth.

It was this thought that made Impa push a little harder through her routine, throwing out larger and more forceful blasts of water magic than she otherwise would in practice. If Kishla was planning a trap, like Impa would, then the Sheikah Tribal Leader was trying to figure out what that trap would be. They didn't have enough information for her to figure that out, though, and it only served to heighten her stress. They still didn't know who was leading the enemy forces, or how big their army actually was. They weren't even familiar enough with the layout of the desert to venture a realistic guess at how the enemy forces might be arranged or where their base would be. They were going in completely blind. Zelda would be vulnerable. They might all die.

Frustrated by the lack of real information and worried about the outcome of a battle that was so stacked against them, Impa decided to just continue practicing as late as she could get away with. If she couldn't anticipate what was coming, she had to be physically ready for anything. Somewhere in that desert, the dragon was waiting for his third rematch, and the ghost wanted his revenge. Impa would be ready. She would protect Zelda at any cost. She would drown the enemy in their own blood if she had to.

~! #$%^&amp;*()

Trumpets played in unison all across Hyrule Castle's grounds. The sound, triumphant and joyful, signaled the official beginning of the feast. It also meant that Impa was running late. Practice had gone too long, and Impa wanted to shower and change before the feast. As she hurried across the training grounds, into the castle, and through the familiar hallways, the Sheikah warrior figured that she wouldn't have missed much. Maybe the official entries and Zelda's opening speech. Not much. She had heard that these feasts were usually casual so it would be okay.

When Impa finally arrived at the main hall, she peeked through the door to get an idea of what was going on. The guests were seated and the servers were bringing out platters. An orchestra was playing, a few couples already dancing. Impa's red eyes scanned the room until she found her. At the head of the table, Queen Zelda sat in a gilded chair that was much to large for her. Her hair was done in an intricate up-style with elegant ringlets curling out of the top of it. She wore an elaborate deep violet gown with a plunging neckline very out of character for her. The Sheikah blushed for a moment before taking a calming breath and looking around the queen. On her left was Ruto, who was chattering out the side of her mouth to Link, and to the right of the queen was an empty chair. Impa grinned to herself, double checked her red jumper with teal accents to make sure it was in order, and then circled around to enter from a side door behind the queen so as not to cause a stir.

"Excuse me, is anyone sitting here?" She asked in a playful tone as she slipped in behind the queen. Zelda swiveled around in her chair. Her head was so small as she peeked it around the large back of the chair Impa almost giggled. The queen looked like a little girl in that chair.

"Well, you look like a rather stunning Sheikah warrior, so I think it was meant for you," she teased. Her eyes sparkled with merriment and wine. By the time Impa sat, the queen had already taken her hand under the table and started chattering away. "What took you so long? I began to fear you were not coming, but Ruto assured me you were. Did you get lost on the practice square, like she said you would?"

Impa tried not to blush under the queen's attention. How much had she had to drink before Impa arrived? "Yes, I suppose I did," she answered, choosing not to voice her thoughts. "I want to be prepared for the march tomorrow."

Zelda scoffed and waived her hand in the air as if trying to swat away a fly. "Let us not talk about war," she said. "There has been enough talk about the war. We are ready, and you need not worry. No, tonight we are going to dance!"

Impa's eyes widened and she swallowed. "Um, dance your majesty?" she said, her voice almost squeaking. She thought back to Ruto's words, her assertion that they should not court unless they were serious about it. Dancing in public would be very strange indeed. "Um, won't that be strange for people to see? Besides that, it's not like Sheikah warriors are trained in dancing. We are trained to be invisible, not to dance."

Zelda pouted, genuine hurt in her eyes. "Are you turning me down, then?" she asked, disappointment in her voice.

Impa sighed. "For now, yes." The way the queen cast her eyes dejectedly at the table was too much for the Sheikah, though, so she quickly added, "but maybe later. I need some more wine before I can brave the dancefloor."

This seemed to be enough for Zelda, who perked up like a flower in a summer rain. "Good!" she exclaimed. "I shall order more wine for you, and some food, and while you get quite well fed and inebriated, I shall dance." She snapped her fingers at the nearest servant and instructed them as to what they should bring the Sheikah warrior. Impa tried to stop her, but it was too late—the servants were already piling platters of food all around her and filling her goblet to overflowing, while the queen took the hand of a nobleman Impa vaguely recognized and let him lead her to the dancefloor.

"I've never seen her this drunk before!" Ruto said from across the table. "I must say, I rather like it." She was dressed in a pink dress that shimmered like fish scales when the light hit it. It was playful and alluring at the same time.

Impa exhaled and laughed out loud. "Great Goddesses," she said, shaking her head. She looked around at all the food piled around her and laughed again. "This is ridiculous! What has gotten into her tonight?"

Across the table next to Ruto, Link paused in his consumption of the turkey leg he was working on to shrug. He was wearing a fun light blue tunic with silver zig-zagging trim on the bottom, a silverish scarf, and orange pants. "Truth be told, she's been like this since the meeting this morning ended. If you want my guess, I think she has just decided that she's not going to think about the war today. Like, she can just ignore it and have fun. I don't see the harm in that, so…." He shrugged again and returned to his turkey leg, digging his teeth in like a rabid wolf and tearing off a hunk of meat.

Impa mulled over this as she piled some food on her plate and took a large sip of her wine. There _was _nothing else they could do tonight to prepare for the march and the battle to come. Perhaps letting go and enjoying the night wasn't such a bad idea. As she dug into her food, the Sheikah tried to purposefully relax her shoulders and engage in the conversation taking place. Ruto and Link were deep in conversation with the people around them about some new fashion trend popular among the peasantry that was gaining interesting in the aristocracy lately. Impa tried to listen, but old habits died hard. Out of the corner of her eye she turned a watchful eye on their violet vixen of a queen, ever painfully aware of where the woman was and what was going on around her.

The band had finished the song they were playing when Zelda went out on the dance floor. As a new song started, the blond had obviously moved on to another partner. It was a lively dance, and the queen and the nobleman laughed and clapped their hands as they bounced in their respective lines. It was one of those dances where the men stood in one line, the women in the other, and they met in the middle or briefly exchanged partners with others before the dance returned them to their original partner. Zelda was obviously having a great time.

Impa watched the display in surprise, and a little jealousy. She had never seen the queen in a large crowd like this before. The Sheikah had seen the queen in small social lunches, large official gatherings, studying with her teachers, or just on her own. Based on her behavior in those settings, usually quite reserved, it had never occurred to the guardian that her charge might be an entirely different person in large social gatherings. Here, Zelda seemed open and social. She knew the names of most of the people around her, and as she passed from one partner to the other she engaged in conversation with them about their lives and their families. It was as if the dancing itself gave her the energy she needed to be more social than she normally was. Then again, Impa thought with a smirk, the wine probably helped as well.

Queen Zelda danced the night away. Eventually, Ruto and Link joined her on the dancefloor and the three of them seemed to have a laughing good time together. In fact, the queen never stopped dancing. There was no pause to have refreshments or to talk with partygoers. The hem of her long, deep violet dress spun and spun, mesmerizing Impa. The stoic Sheikah felt an unfamiliar twinge in her heart. It was as if every man who now danced with the queen was somehow a threat, which was illogical. A generally open person, she had never felt this way before. Zelda didn't seem to mind the many men who took turns dancing with her that evening. She took each one gracefully in turn and seemed to enjoy their company. It didn't matter who was dancing with her, only that she was in constant movement. Impa, however, found this new jealous feeling growing.

The Sheikah Tribal Leader sipped her wine and watched from the table, at war within herself. Sheikah don't dance, she told herself. After all, someone needed to be watchful. Anything could happen at any time, couldn't it? There was no way she could go out there and sweep the queen off of her feet, as if she even knew how to dance to begin with, which she didn't. Impa agreed with herself and stayed where she was. It was only when someone heavy sat down in the abandoned seat next to her that the guardian finally looked away from the queen's dancing form.

"General Auru?" she asked, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

The general chuckled and shook his head. "Don't be so surprised, girl," he said. "You're a General of Hyrule yourself now. You'll be seeing more of us than you ever wanted to. Anyway, I thought I'd join you. Those windbags down where I was sitting just want to talk about politics and war all night, and you look like you could use company."

"Thank you, but I…well, thank you." Impa took a sip of her wine to cover her nerves.

"So, why aren't you dancing?" Auru asked, the wrinkles around his eyes seeming more pronounced by his smile.

Impa shook her head. "Oh, Sheikah don't exactly dance."

Auru chuckled, almost to himself. "No, that's not it," he said, grinning at the young woman.

Impa blinked. "Excuse me?"

The old man gestured to the queen on the dancefloor. "You've been looking at her all night, and when you're not looking at her she has been looking up at you. Ability to dance has nothing to do with anything—you're holding back."

Impa looked incredulous. "It's my job to protect the queen. Of course I've been watching her. That doesn't mean I want to dance with her."

Auru scoffed. "It's Link's job to protect the queen, and he's down there doing it. Don't use that excuse. I wasn't born yesterday, I can see what's going on between the two of you. I've suspected it for a long time, since the queen's irrational behavior during your absence."

The Sheikah looked away from the old general. "There is nothing going on between the queen and I," she said, her voice firm.

"Nonsense," Auru laughed. "Young Zelda is just like her mother. I've seen this play out before." Impa's jaw dropped. Before she could speak, the old man held up his hand to stop her and nodded his head. "Yes, I knew about her mother. Once upon a time, when I was young and the previous queen was just a princess, I tried to court her."

"Really?" Impa said, surprised.

Auru nodded. "Along with every eligible bachelor in Hyrule, I assure you. But Zelda, she didn't have eyes for any of us. Even when we were on our dates, she would be talking about Tikala or looking around for Tikala or obviously thinking about Tikala. Most people chocked it up to them being close friends, but I saw something different. I didn't know for sure until this morning, when you and the young Zelda here confirmed my old suspicions. But back then, I could see how they looked at each other. There was a fire between them."

Impa didn't know what to say. Why was he even telling her this? She opened her mouth to say something to this effect, but he stopped her again. "Look," Auru said, deadly serious now. "I didn't say anything back then, either in support or in opposition—though I never saw anything particularly wrong with it. After all, it has been common in the Sheikah for generations and some say the royal family might have some Sheikah blood somewhere in their veins. But that's not the point," he sighed and rubbed his face with his calloused hand. "What I'm trying to say is that I didn't say anything, and I have regretted it since the day the King and Queen forced her to marry. I saw that she was miserable. I don't know if saying anything would have changed the way things turned out, but…well, I don't want to see history repeat itself, so I'm saying something now. I can see that same fire when you and our young queen look at each other. If you want to dance with Zelda, then go dance with her goddesses damn it."

Impa frowned. "But what if—"

Auru interrupted. "Stop. Just stop. Ask yourself this: if you die on the battlefield tomorrow, would you regret dancing with her? Or would you regret that you _didn't_ dance with her?" Impa didn't answer. She cast her eyes down to the goblet in her hand and frowned. The old general sighed and patted her on the shoulder as he rose to his feet. "I don't envy your situation, and I promise that your secret is safe with me as long as you want it to stay a secret. No one else knows, that I know of at least. Just…think about what I said. I will leave you to your thoughts."

Impa watched Auru walk back to his seat with her mouth hanging open. Did that really just happen? After all the follow up conversations that she worried might happen after their reveal about the late queen that morning, this was something she never thought of. "_Would you regret that you didn't_ _dance with her?" _The old general's words reverberated in her mind. A song was just ending. Impa looked down to the dancefloor to see the beautiful queen averting her eyes from the Sheikah, hiding her disappointment as the first notes of a slow dance were played. A young nobleman with dark hair offered his hand, his smile cockier than it should be. Zelda accepted with a curtsy, and the Sheikah felt her head grow hot, her thoughts clouded. Taking one last sip of her wine, she threw away her inhibitions. Auru had a point.

"Excuse me," Impa said, tapping the young man's shoulder. "May I cut in?"

Zelda's eyes widened in surprise, her whole face lighting up with joy, but the young man scowled. "Wait your turn, Sheikah. This is my dance."

Impa scowled, her eyes narrowing. Fire leapt off of her fists at her sides. "I'm afraid that is not your call, young man," she said, raising one flaming finger to the edge of his frilly shirt like a dagger of fire. "Queen Zelda is not yours to claim," she growled.

His eyes widened, his pupils shrinking in fright as he leapt backward and let go of the queen. "Woah! Okay, wow, I am sorry!" He walked off the dance floor muttering _"crazy…"_ under his breath.

Impa extinguished the flames in her hands. Smiling a little sheepishly, she turned to the queen and bowed. "May I dance with you, your majesty?" she asked.

"I have been waiting all night for you to ask," Zelda answered.

When Impa straightened, she found Zelda positively glowing with happiness. Her cheeks were flush with excitement and her skin shone with sweat from dancing all night. Impa's heart pounded in her ears as she stepped forward and took Zelda's hand in her right hand, placing her left hand on the queen's waist. Butterflies turned her stomach in circles. "I'm sorry it took me so long," she said.

They were dancing farther apart than was customary for this dance. The queen moved their bodies closer, bridging the gap between them. Impa blushed again, but didn't try to move away. "What changed your mind?" Zelda asked, resisting the urge to giggle at the expense of her flustered guardian.

Impa swallowed. She was suddenly very aware of exactly how low the bodice of the queen's dress was cut. Her palms were sweating. "Maybe I just grew tired of seeing you dance with all those young noblemen," she remarked, trying to focus on performing the right steps.

"I can believe that," Zelda laughed. "I do think that young man will never ask me to dance again. How ever will I find a suitor if you threaten them all with fire bursting out of your hands?" Impa opened her mouth to apologize for her actions, but stopped when she saw the mirth on the queen's face. "My, my, Impa, you are so wound tight tonight," Zelda laughed. She trailed a gloved finger over the bare skin of Impa's left shoulder, biting her lower lip a little. "One might think you were…bothered…by something."

Impa let out a huff of air and laughed nervously, directing her eyes past Zelda's head. "Oh dear Din," she said. "You wore that on purpose, you little vixen. And here I thought I knew you!"

The queen was not successful in getting the mischief off of her face. "I was given this by a lady in waiting a long time ago. Now seemed like a good time to try it on for the first time. I see that it had the desired effect."

"If the desired effect was to test the limits of my self-control, good job, well done," Impa said. Despite the tension in her voice, she looked back to the queen's face with barely concealed tenderness and desire. The intensity of that look made Zelda's mouth go dry. A blush of her own crept into her cheeks, quite separate from the color caused by her night of exertion. Perhaps she had thought a little too highly of the Sheikah's restraint.

They danced in silence for a while, staring into one another's eyes as if having a silent conversation. The song they were dancing to ended, and another slow song came on. The orchestra was reading the queen's body language well that night. Trying to cut the physical tension between them, Impa spoke. "I have never seen you in a party like this before. You seem like you are really enjoying yourself. Here I thought you were shy."

Zelda rolled her eyes a little. "I _am_ shy. You do not need to have real relationships with anyone at feasts like this. All the interactions are shallow and pleasant, just like I like them." Impa wasn't sure how to respond to that, but Zelda saved her by adding, "I DO very much enjoy the dancing."

"I think I noticed that," Impa replied, smiling. She tightened her arms around the queen, holding her a little closer. "I promise that when we have the celebratory feast when return victorious from this war, I will dance with you all night if it would make you happy."

The queen adjusted her arms to rest them both around the Sheikah's neck and laid her head on Impa's shoulder. She sighed in contentment and closed her eyes. "I do not want to think about the war...but yes, it would make me very happy."

They weren't really dancing to the proper steps anymore, and at least half of the room was watching them and whispering, but in that moment Impa didn't care. Auru was right. This was the last night they had before the march and the battle. There was a distinct possibility that it might be the last night they would ever have together. She didn't want to face down death weighted down by regret for the things she never did. She would rather face it boldly, drawing on this memory—Zelda happy in her arms on the dancefloor—to give her strength. If there were consequences, they would face them when the war was done.

Impa and Zelda danced the rest of the night. They were in their own world, oblivious to the people starting to go to bed and filter out of the main hall. It wasn't until the orchestra stopped playing that they pulled apart and looked around them. "Looks like we outlasted everyone," Impa said.

"Even Ruto and Link," Zelda agreed, seeing neither their fishy friend nor her guardian present. Link must have assumed that Zelda was going to be with Impa the rest of the night. He was not wrong on that point. "Shall we take our leave as well?" the queen asked.

"My pleasure." Impa held out her elbow, which Zelda took gracefully.

The young queen looked tired as she allowed Impa to lead her through the gardens on their way to the royal suite. She raised her bright, cornflower blue gaze to the night sky while Impa watched the stars sparkle in the mirror of her eyes. Never had the Sheikah allowed herself to love the queen so publicly before, and it was such a beautiful night. Near a tall hedge with a private little bench, Impa stopped. She pulled the confused queen into her arms, daring to hold her inappropriately close in the moonlight. Zelda's body yielded, melting into Impa's embrace.

Impa moved her hands up the sides of Zelda's violet dress, her touch slow and explorative. Her fingers brushed the sides of the queen's purposefully-accentuated breasts ever so faintly, almost as if by accident, before sliding up her bared arms and shoulders. They came to rest cradling queen's face, her calloused thumbs gently caressing the soft skin of her cheeks. Intense red eyes pierced the queen as if looking into her very soul. She felt held by those eyes as much as those warriors' hands.

Zelda's face and bodice were flush with excitement, her breathing fast and nervous as Impa stared into her eyes for what felt like forever. Her body shook a little, but she wasn't sure if it was the chill in the air or her own nerves. She didn't have long to wonder, however, as Impa leaned in. Zelda closed her eyes instinctively, feeling the Sheikah's lips brush her own. At first that's all it was—the teasing brush of lips, their shaky breaths mingling in the air. Then Impa's lips pressed a little harder, and Zelda's body responded on its own, it seemed, by arching into the Sheikah as her mouth yielded, opened.

That was all the permission that Impa needed. Her lips moved over Zelda's passionately, hungrily. She kissed her as if they had never kissed before, or would never kiss again. Both tender and rough, Impa scraped her teeth along the queen's bottom lip, only to suck gently on the top lip. Zelda responded in kind, surprising herself when she groaned out loud into Impa's mouth. This seemed to feed the Sheikah, as her hands left Zelda's cheeks and grasped her hips instead, pressing their bodies together from hip to breast.

Impa's armor hurt slightly, but Zelda didn't care. She slid her gloved hands through the single-shoulder jumper and along the tender skin of the Sheikah's rib cage just below her chest wraps. Impa's tongue traced along Zelda's lower lip, then her upper lip. The queen opened her mouth wider, granting passage as her fingers gripped Impa's sides. The Sheikah shuddered at the feeling, and her tongue slid into the queen's mouth. Zelda caressed Impa's tongue with her own. They explored each other's mouths with their tongues, going back and forth as if wrestling, and their hands began to roam each other's bodies of their own accord, going wherever they desired.

Inhaling hard through her nose, Impa stopped the kiss suddenly. Her hands were frozen in place—one supporting the queen's back, the other in the process of sliding up her voluminous skirts. Zelda's hands were no more innocent, as they had somehow managed to unhook the armor plate over Impa's breast and were sliding underneath the wraps on her back. They were both breathing hard, neither of them willing to move yet, neither really wanting to pull away.

"I'm sorry," Impa murmured as she pulled her hand out of the queen's dress. At some point Zelda's leg had gotten propped up on the bench behind them to allow Impa's hand better access. Zelda lowered it back to the ground now and swallowed.

"Me too," she whispered, removing her hands from beneath Impa's chest wraps. She looked around for the missing piece of armor and found the small triangle sitting on the ground just behind her. Picking it up, she brushed off the dirt that had gotten on it and held it out to the Sheikah.

"Thank you," Impa said as she strapped it back on. They helped to straighten each other's clothing and hair out, in case anyone saw them in the halls of the castle on their way back to Zelda's room. When they were done, they stood apart and looked at each other with shaky breathing, unsure of what to say.

"I think I am beginning to understand that night my mother snuck out and went to Tikala's hut," Zelda finally said, laughing weakly.

Impa nodded in agreement, but asked, "are you upset with me? For stopping?"

The Sheikah looked so scared of the answer to that question. Her earlier confidence seemed replaced with worry and concern. Zelda sighed, but smiled. She reached out and took Impa's hand in her own, squeezing it as hard as she could. "Never," she said. She looked Impa in the eye and repeated herself firmly, just to be sure Impa believed her. "Never. I understand that now is not the right time, and here is not the right place. Thank you for always protecting me, even if it is from myself."

Impa sighed, closing her eyes and tilting her face up toward the stars. "I wanted to kiss you since I first saw you in the great hall," she admitted. "All night I watched you dance with others, watched their hopeful faces, their wandering eyes, and I felt so…possessive. Like they had no right to look at you, no right to touch your sides or take your hand. I've never felt that way before. It was…frightening. How strong it was. I'm sorry…you're not mine to possess."

Zelda stepped forward, inching close to Impa without fully touching her as they had been before. A breath away, almost touching, she cupped her elbows with her hands instead and looked at the same stars that so seemed to capture the Sheikah's attention. "But I am, you know," she murmured. "Yours. Even when we were apart and I was trying to hate you, I was yours. I dreamed of you at night, and was preoccupied with thoughts of you during the day. Even tonight as I danced with all of those men, I only wanted to dance with you. I belong to you, now, Impa." She laughed a little, almost bitterly. "If it was you who was dancing with other people, I do not know if I could have shown your same restraint. I would have stepped in right away and taken you for myself. I would have been public about staking my claim. I am the queen after all. Who would dispute me? And if we decided to separate for the good of Hyrule and you tried to date another girl, I think I would destroy her. I could not stand to see you kiss anyone but me. I am not as generous as you…I think that I will be a jealous lover."

Impa was looking at Zelda now, but the queen was still looking at the stars. Starlight made her pale face and her golden hair sparkle, as if she were a goddess come to earth. Impa could almost imagine her in flight, the wind blowing through those golden tresses, wild, uninhibited. She was a soul that existed to be free, and yet she was born into confinement. A gilded cage was still a cage nonetheless. Impa knew that she, too, was bound—bound to this golden woman forever. There was no question of who she belonged to, not in her mind. But it sounded as if this assurance was not as firm in the mind of her queen.

"Zelda," she said, reaching out to touch the skin on the woman's arm. The queen looked at her, her expression guarded. Impa just smiled. "If there is any question as to where I belong, or to whom I belong, then I have done you a great disservice. You should know that I am yours. I have always been yours."

Zelda turned into her guardian, pressing the fronts of their bodies together again. She lifted the arm that Impa wasn't touching and cradled the Sheikah's face in her hand. "I know you are," she whispered, "but it is reassuring to hear you say it. Impa, I love you very much. Thank you for this wonderful night. The dancing, the sweet kiss in the moonlit gardens, this promise of your love…I will never forget it as long as I live."

Impa covered the hand on her cheek with her own. "Why do you sound as if you are saying goodbye?" she whispered.

Zelda's eyes were shining, but the Sheikah couldn't tell if it was from the stars or tears. "It has been nice to pretend we are not going to war in the morning," she said with a bitter chuckle. "But it is only pretend. If something happens to you or I in the battle, I want to remember you like this…with moonlight in your hair…and I want there to be no question of where we stood or how deeply our feelings ran. I belong to you, and you belong to me. We are bound in love and in destiny forever. If one of us does not return, this will be a comfort to us. If both of us do return…then I would like to court you, Impa."

Impa blinked in surprise. She couldn't think of an appropriate response. "What?" was all she could get out.

Zelda blushed now, a little of the girl she really was shining through the exterior of the queen. "Like I said, I am a jealous lover. I want the kingdom to know you are off limits. Now is not the time, but if we return from this battle then I do not want to wait any longer. I would like to court you, Impa."

A grin spread on the Sheikah's face. It lit up her entire countenance and a laugh burst from her chest. "That is not how I saw this going," she said, "but yes! You may court me, if you wish."

Queen Zelda returned her lover's grin and bounced on her toes with excitement. "Wonderful! Thank you…I suppose that is what I should say? I might blunder this whole courtship thing up. I was never exactly taught how."

Impa laughed. "I am sure it will be wonderful," she said. "And if you're worried, you might ask General Auru for help. I think he would be more than happy."

Zelda looked puzzled. "Auru? Why would you say that?"

Impa grinned. "I'll tell you later," she said, noticing the queen shivering. The night was growing colder. "For now, let's get inside before you freeze to death."

They walked back to Zelda's quarters in comfortable silence. Some of the soldiers were still up. They gathered around their campfires and talked late into the night, fed and satisfied. In the morning they would all be facing a new world, a world of long, hard marches to hot deserts where unspeakable horrors waited for them. A world where any one of them might not return. But tonight, they were happy. That was the entire point of the pre-war feast, and Impa knew that it had done its job. The queen had planned it well.

"Are you going to come in?" Zelda asked when they finally arrived at the door to her room. "There is a separate bed for you to use," she added.

There was laugher down the hallway from a couple rowdy nobles, but no one dared to cause trouble in the royal hall. They were alone. Seeing this, Impa took Zelda's hands in her own and held them between them. "I would love to, but somehow I doubt that would be a good idea. You're still wearing that dress."

Zelda grinned, that mischievous glint back in her eyes. "You could help me take it off, you know," she said.

Impa laughed. "Don't tempt me," she teased. "Anyway, I need to prepare myself and my people for the march tomorrow. I will barely sleep tonight before I have to rise again, and I do not want to wake you. I probably won't be able to see you again until we're on the line."

"I understand," Zelda said, although she looked disappointed. "You need to go and be important, and I need to stay and be important. Unfortunately, in this case we cannot be important in the same space."

Impa chuckled. "You are so silly sometimes," she said. She reached her hand up and tangled her fingers in Zelda's up-style, which was coming quite loose after the night of dancing. "I'll make sure Link is next door and aware of you before I leave," she promised. Zelda nodded, and they stood together for a moment just looking at one another. Finally Impa leaned in and planted a chaste kiss on the queen's lips. "I love you, Zelda," she whispered. "Goodnight."

"I love you too, Impa," Zelda said as the Sheikah pulled away. "Sleep well. I will see you on the line tomorrow."

"I will try not to blush when I see you, just remembering how beautiful you looked tonight," Impa said. She walked over and peaked her head into Link's room. When he was awake and gave the Sheikah a signal that he heard and understood her, she closed the door and nodded to the queen. Zelda sighed, smiled, and waved a little before going into her room and closing the door behind her. Impa stayed for a moment longer to debate her own decision with herself before shaking her head and walking back to her own chambers. She already knew that sleep tonight would not come easy

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**Author's Notes:**

Hello all! This was a very pleasant chapter to write. Hopefully it was just as pleasant to read.

I wanted to leave a short note for all of you who have left such thoughtful, sweet reviews on this story. I just want to thank you for taking the time to let me know what you think. I have been too busy with work, wedding planning, and life in general to respond individually to some of them like I'd like to, so I just wanted you to know that I have read every review, and am very touched and grateful. I hope you continue to enjoy the story as we come closer to the end every month.

Enjoy the chapter, and thanks for reading.

~The Wolfess

****If you enjoy my writing, please check out the Doppelganger Trilogy. You can find books 1 and 2 completed on my profile.****


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